Blood and Amber
by Bookkbaby
Summary: Rated for lots of blood and some swearing. NO main character death. Kaoru gets kidnapped by a man in the middle of the night. How will Kenshin react? Will he turn back into the Battousai and kill everyone to try to rescue her? Pairings KenKao, SanMeg
1. Chapter 1

Blanket disclaimer for the fanfic: I don't own anything. No suing.

Kenshin walked. It seemed like he had been doing nothing else for... well, for forever. Wait. Didn't he recognize this place? Kenshin's steps slowed, but they didn't stop. Slowly, a snowy clearing came into view. It was then that he became dimly aware of the cold and biting wind, as well as the lightly falling snow.

Where did he remember this scene from? Suddenly he heard a voice he recognized, for it was so much like his own, but this voice wasn't light and cheerful.  
No, this was the voice of his other half- the one that had stained his hands with blood. The Battousai's voice was thck with anger. He was fighting, but Kenshin could sense that this was a fight of his own doing. It was his fault that this fight was taking place. He hadn't been able to protect... someone... who was it?

He heard a tortured scream that he dimly recognized as the Battousai's, still searching for where he knew this from. With amazing swiftness, everything came back to him with a sickening rush.

'Tomoe...' Once again, he was hit by his own guilt. He had killed her... it had been all his fault, all his.  
He once again remembered himself, and realized that he was moving closer to Tomoe and himself. He was there, watching as he cried over the body of his wife.

The scene flickered.

It wasn't winter anymore- it was spring. He wasn't in a forest anymore, but near a dojo, running towards the building that served as the training hall. His memories shocked him and he tried to get the memory of what happened next out of his head, but then he heard himself saying the words that would echo in his mind, because they accompained the sight he hated most.  
"What good is Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... what good is Himura Kenshin...Again I failed to protect the one most important to me..." Kenshin found himself unwillingly looking at the doll that he had at first mistaken for Kaoru.

'No!' his mind screamed. There was something different about this one... All the nightmares he had been having lately flooded back, and he tried in vain to get himself to stop before he saw it again.

Kaoru was stabbed to the wall, like in the memory, but this was different. This Kaoru was still squirming, like a worm on a fishhook.

This Kaoru was the real Kaoru. Kenshin watched, frozen with pain and fear, as the light went out of Kaoru's eyes and her body stopped it's struggle against the sword that had pinned it there.

"NO!" Kenshin screamed out loud, his own voice jolting him awake. He sat up and tried to calm his loud breathing and racing heart. He was drenched in the cold sweat that the nightmare always brought. Eventually, his breathing slowed to normal, and he felt like he could lay back down, which he did.

The nightmares were getting worse.

'Two months have passed since Enishi's attack... why does this one still have these dreams?' Kenshin wondered, using his rurouni language.

'I should have killed Enishi for what he did...' Kenshin mentally stopped himself, not letting his Battousai side out. That way lay madness- if he killed again, neither Kaoru nor he himself would ever forgive him. Kenshin reached for Kaoru's blue hair ribbon- the one she had given him before Jin'e had kidnapped her to bring out the Battousai in Kenshin.

He sniffed it. No matter how bloodstained it was with his blood, it still held her scent. He had kept the ribbon, even after Kaoru had told him to throw it out, it being unfit for a lady's hair.

He wrapped the ribbon around his wrist, taking a small measure of comfort from the small cloth. He inhaled again, the ribbon close to his nose. He relaxed slowly, allowing the scent to make him drift off. If he tried, he could almost imagine Kaoru with him. He smiled at the thought, but instantly felt guilty.

'How could this one admit that he has feelings for Kaoru when his hands are so stained?' If only in his thoughts, Kenshin had the courage to call her by her name, instead of the Kaoru-dono he constantly used out loud.

'She is mine.' Kenshin shook his head again. His Battousai half always wanted to possess the things he held most dear, and Kenshin hadn't even worked up the courage to say anything about how he felt.

'Kaoru is not this one's woman, she is her own person.'

'She is mine...' Kenshin shook his head firmly. His desire for Kaoru- among other things- were just beyond the surface tonight, just behind his face. He mentally slapped himself for thinking that way about Kaoru... again...

He sighed and closed his eyes, attempting to sleep.

Just outside the door, someone listened.

Kaoru turned her ear from the door. She had been listening to the rurouni's breathing, making sure that he was still safe and sound.

'Like anything could surprise Kenshin...' she thought, a small smile on her face. She had come running at his scream- it had woken her up- and had been listening to him breathe ever since. It was oddly comforting. Sometimes when she'd find herself unable to sleep, she'd come to his door and just listen. He was so peaceful... content.. quiet...handsome, charming, sweet, caring.  
'Stop it Kaoru.' she warned herself. 'Bad, bad idea...' What right had she for... liking Kenshin that way? He hadn't shown any interest in her at all, showing her only the same rurouni smile that he showed everyone, extending the same kindness, looking at her with the same eyes... his beautiful, beautiful eyes...

Kaoru practically slapped herself to stop her mind from wandering down that track again. It had been doing that often enough lately. She pressed her ear to the door.

Kenshin was asleep- she could tell by his even breathing. She smiled with contentment. Just seeing -or listening to, in this case- her Kenshin happy was enough for her. She blinked. Her Kenshin? Since when was he hers?

"Stop it Kaoru, not again..." she whispered to herself, she stood up and turned around, back to her own room, unaware of the danger that presented. She opened the screen door and stepped inside, closing the door firmly but quietly. Her feeling of contentment waned, then stopped altogether, the feeling of a foreign prescense throwing her mood off.

"Who's there?" she asked, wishing that she wore more then her sleeping yukata... inside, her stomach twisted in fear. She had no bokuto, nothing to defend herself with...

No one answered her question, but the feeling of being watched didn't go away.

"Come out and face me. Who are you? I know that someone's there!" Kaoru called, unwilling to yell- it might wake the others.

Even worse, this feeling may be nothing more then the hallucination of a sleep-deprived brain, and then Kenshin would know that she was just a little girl, scared of all the monsters in her closet and under her futon.

A low laugh echoed from the corner of her room. She whirled to face it, wishing desperately that she had some sort of a weapon and that her fear didn't show too much.

"Heheheh... Battousai's lady, I take it?" Kaoru winced a bit inside- oh, how she wished for that to be true- and denied it.

"I am not his lady. Who are you? I'll call the police- this is private property!" Kaoru said, taking a step closer, feeling her limbs shake with fear. This man... he reminded her of someone that she had seen once or twice, and hoped that she wouldn't have to meet again, because he took away the person she held most dear.

It was almost as if the man and Battousai had been in the same profession- but weren't all the hitokiri in the government now?

"Who I am is irrevelent." The voice was behind her now. She whirled to face it, a sinking sensation in her stomach. She hadn't even noticed him move. Her knees shook, and now her voice betrayed a hint of the fear she felt.

"Wh-why are you here?"

"I am representing my associates..." behind her, again, but much too close this time. Much, much too close. He was breathing down her neck...

"...Kamiya Kaoru." Kaoru froze. The man was after her and Kenshin? She suddenly felt his hands grab her arms and pull them behind her back, tying them with what felt like rope. She opened her mouth wide to scream, but only to find it filled with a piece of cloth, acting as a gag. She struggled, hoping to throw the man off, now afraid for her life. Tears ran slowly down her cheeks, the only indication of how terrified she actually was.

"Kenshin!" she tried to call out through the gag. Nothing but a muffled scream came out. Very abruptly, she was aware that her feet no longer touched the floor, feeling a sharp pain in her arms. The man was taking her! She tried desperately to spit out the gag, but only actually go a corner of it out. She watched the floor of the dojo, then the grounds, go by at a rapid pace, but then she jerked to a stop.

Apparently her muffled screaming had woken one of the heaviest sleepers in the dojo.  
Either that, or he was sneaking in late. Far more likely that he was coming in late.  
"Missy!" Sano yelled, grasping the situation quickly. This guy was trying to take Missy. He cracked his knuckles.

"Put her down!" he instructed, his most threatening look on his face.  
'If I let this guy walk out with her, Kenshin will never forgive me...' The man smirked, his stoic eyes staring at the street fighter. He practically dropped Kaoru, not seeming to care that she'd bruise. Kaoru let out a small yelp at the rough treatment, but then got back to work on the gag. She tried pushing it out with her tongue, ignoring the coppery taste that could only be blood.

"Who are you, and what are you doing with Missy?" Sano asked, glaring at the man while sizing him up. The man carried a sword at his side, and was at least a head shorter then Sano, and obviously had less muscle. The man drew out the blade and it gleamed in the moonlight.

"Street fighter Zanza- we've heard about you." Sano kept glaring, but his glare changed to shock as the man rushed him, nearly as fast as Kenshin. Sano didn't dodge in time, and the sharp steel cut into his shoulder. Sango grabbed the wound, losing balance and dropping to one knee.

"Boring." Sano gritted his teeth. This wasn't the first sword wound he had recieved, and wouldn't be the last. He stood, ignoring his shoulder's complaint. That single move had cut his flesh to the bone- not good. Sano rushed forward, fists flying. He actually managed to score a hit before the sword came back up. Sano blocked with his bare arms, ignoring the pain as the blade bit deep and tasted his blood once more. Out of the corner of his eye, Sano saw Kaoru working frantically at her gag.

'Good girl Missy... keep that up and yell for Kenshin. This guy's good...'

A/N: So, is it any good? 


	2. Chapter 2

Kaoru kept working at the gag frantically. This guy was as good as Kenshin, and Sano wasn't having an easy time of fighting him... Kenshin could help though. He'd whip that guy, easily.  
Yes! She was free to use her voice. The gag was off. She coughed once, clearing her throat. She took a deep breath, and screamed.

"KENSHIN!" Yards away, someone awoke.

Yahiko rubbed his eyes. Was that Kaoru's voice that he had just heard? Wasn't her room on the other side of the dojo, near the back?

Kaoru screamed again, and Yahiko was wide awake. He grabbed his bokuto and ran to see what was going on. As he reached the enterence, he stood still, shocked at the sight.

Sano was all bruised and bloody. Kaoru was tied up. One man stood near then, a sword dripping red in his hands. Kaoru was the first to notice him.

"Get Kenshin!" The man with the sword suddenly noticed Yahiko in the doorway. He strode towards the child, his intent obvious. Yahiko didn't even bother with a protest- he knew that this man was out of his league. He turned and ran, way out of breath by the time he reached Kenshin's door, the numbing fear of one who had the Devil sent on his plain on his face.

"Ke-Kenshin!" he yelled between pants. "Wake up! It's Kaoru, she's-" a muffled thump ended his senetence, and a sickening silence filled the dojo. In that silence, a man with red hair and a cross-shaped scar awoke. He was on his feet in an instant, out the door with his sakabato in the next second. He saw a man disappear down on of the adjoining corridors. He glanced at Yahiko, but the boy was simply out, not dead. Kenshin raced after the man, afraid of what he had though that he'd heard from Yahiko.

'"It's Kaoru, she's-" Not dead, not dead, not dead...' Kenshin repeated to himself racing out onto the grounds of the dojo. The first thing he noticed was Kaoru, tied up but alive.

"Kaoru-dono! NO!" he bellowed, wanting to go to her, when suddenly a hand reached for her and took her, racing along at a speed Kenshin couldn't command, in his half-asleep state. He cursed himself, and prepared to follow, furious at the man, when he heard a groan.

It was Sano. Kenshin looked at his friend, then at the quickly disappearing back of his unknown foe.

'Sano will live a few more minutes. Get Kaoru!' his body screamed, and he obeyed, cursing the fact that he couldn't go faster then he could now. He caught up to Kaoru and her kidnapper as they reached a main road.

A carriage was waiting. The man ahead of him shoved Kaoru's unconscious form inside- she must have finally gotten overtaken by her fear. He didn't leap in himself, and Kenshin grabbed the hilt of his sakabato.

"Take Kaoru-dono out of that carriage and give her to me." Kenshin said quietly, his rage igniting, and small golden specks appearing in his eyes.  
"That would ruin everything, now wouldn't it Battousai?" The man's smile was creepy, without any happiness at all. He flicked a piece of paper at Kenshin.

"We wait here. If you want her corpse back at least, you must come. We'll be sure to bury you two together." Kenshin didn't catch the paper, just let it fall to the ground, his eyes tinged amber.

"Give her back now, or this one will draw." Kenshin warned. The man just laughed.

"We'll be seeing you Battousai!" He hopped in the carriage as Kenshin slashed, growling angerily. Kenshin made as if to follow, but just then a smoke bomb exploded from somewhere nearby He couldn't see his hand in front of his face, let alone the carriage!

'Shimatta!' he swore, racing out of the smoke and looking around. He had gone the wrong way. He faced forest, not road! He turned and ran back through the smoke, but the carriage was gone. He fell to his knees, shaking with rage.

This was his fault, they had his Kaoru and he couldn't do anything about it... yet. He grabbed the small piece of paper that the man had left so thoughtfully for him. He scanned the contents, memorizing the note, then ripped it up and threw them away from him, the words ringing in his head.

'We are waiting for you Battousai. We have your woman, and will kill her unless you show up and fight us. At dawn we will begin cutting off her fingers.

We are in the center of the forest near the Akebeko. Wash your neck before coming.  
Nakama no Hitokiri'

Kenshin growled, then glanced at the sky. He had a few hours, and Sano and Yahiko needed medical treatment. He raced into town, to the medic's clinic, and looked for Megumi. He spotted her almosy instantly, and strode right up to her.

She seemed delighted to see him.

"Ken-san! I can talk to you in a few minutes, but I have to finish up with this patient first." Megumi said, smiling. Kenshin didn't back away.

"Now, Megumi." Perhaps it was the lack of the honorific that made her look up at his eyes.  
His beautiful amber eyes. She swallowed.

"All right-"

"Sano and Yahiko are at the dojo. Both are severely injured. I need you to go help them." Megumi nodded slowly, calling another medic over to help the patient she had to leave. Only when Kenshin was gone did everything register on her. The amber eyes. The use of 'I' instead of 'this one'.

"Battousai..." she whispered, shivering. She pitied the person that Kenshin was angry with. She'd be seeing them soon enough.

Kenshin walked briskly towards the Akebeko. People moved out of his way. Their town started its day early, and today was no exception. Kenshin walked with a single-minded purpose that none dared test. By the time Kenshin got to the center of the forest, it was just about two hours til dawn.

He glared at the sign above the buildings door, his hair blowing about his face, even without any wind. He opened the door wide and stepped in, determined to find his Kaoru.

'I won't allow her to stay here. Those bastards had better be ready, and they better not have hurt my Kaoru.'

While Kenshin was doing this, Kaoru awoke, hearing a chilling voice in her ear.

"Awake huh?" it asked her. "At dawn we slowly tear you apart. Battousai will be driven off the deep end for sure."

"W-Why?" she stammered, noting that her legs, arms, and wrists were bound.

"Why? WHy, she asks..." the voice chuckled. "He's soft. The hitokiri once so feared throughout Japan is now a harmless rurouni."

"I knew someone who said something very similar about Kenshin." Kaoru said, not letting her fear enter her voice. "His name was Jin'e." The voice laughed.

"Another weak one, though at least he might have been let into the elite circle of hitokiri. We, the last surviving hitokiri who remain true to samurai life, have formed this group, the Nakama no Hitokiri! Once again we will bring war to Japan, reliving the glorious age of the Bakumatsu..." Kaoru stiffened.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked shakily.

"You were as good as dead when we captured you. Your pathetic rurouni will be buried alongside you, so he can no longer taint the name 'hitokiri', that soft fool!"

"What do you have against Kenshin?"

"I've just told you- for the Bakumatsu to be brought about again, we must either have the Battousai on our side or kill him."

"He'll defeat you."

"You don't sound so confident..." The voice laughed, and Kaoru shivered again, but not from the cold. Suddenly the sound of swordplay could be heard.

"Kenshin's here!" Kaoru cried out happily. He was many floors below her, but still... her rurouni was here.

"Battousai..." the voice whispered. "I hope he's having fun. We fight to the death here..."

'Wash your neck and wait' is an old saying that tells the person that you're coming for them, and that you will kill them. So 'Wash your neck before coming' means something along the lines of 'Come to us so that we can kill you.'

What'dya think? Good? Bad? 


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all who reviewed! Reviews are my lifeblood and help the next chappie get done!

Battousai watched as the men fell before him. None were a match for his blade, reversed or not.  
He had been a fool to think that they were.

"Where is my Kaoru?" he asked one man, flipping his blade over and holding it at the man's throat. The poor man had already been beaten to a bloody pulp, compliments of the dull edge of the sakabato. A thin line of blood fell from the man's neck as he swallowed.

"I-I'll see you in H-Hell before I tell you that, B-Battousai." the man stuttered. Battousai closed his eyes and hit the man upside the head, quickly flipping the blade back to the dull edge up. These men weren't worthy to die by his sword. Battousai turned and left the men's bodies where they were- he had more important things to do.

It wasn't long before he came upon his next room of opponents.

"Where is my Kaoru?" he demanded, not caring that they were staring at him. Some screamed outright. I mean, he was an impressive sight. He was drenched in other men's blood, his once white sleeping yukata completely red. Even his sword dripped. He hefted said sword and leveled it at them, his grip and blade steady.

"I'll ask once more: Where is my Kaoru?" No one spoke. They must be at least a tiny bit scared of the bloody creature in front of them- they wouldn't be human otherwise.

Unfortunately for them, they chose to attack.

"Hurgggh!" the leader yelled, bringing his katana down in a left to right motion, aiming to cut Battousai in two. The obvious strike was easily evaded, Battousai striking on his way back down and whirling to face the next opponent. The next was a skinny man, of no more then Battousai's age.

'He, too, must have been around 14 when he was called to war.'

"Where is Kaoru?" he demanded of every person in the room, knocking them out one after the other. He had barely spent a half hour in that room, and was more drenched then ever before. He went to the next room and put his hand on the knob...suddenly, something screamed at him that something was wrong.

He turned the door handle, only to find a chamber of gas, designed not to kill, but to nearly paralyze. He'd be nearly unable to move after just one lungful.

'Chi...kuso...' Battousai swore in his mind, but covered his nose and mouth with his gi and went through the room as quickly as he could, but he would have a devestating handicap from this point forward.

He managed to get through the next two rooms, but at a terrible price. His lungs burned and he was exhausted to the point of death, but he kept moving. He had quite a few wounds, not all of them minor.

"Damn..it..." he leaned against the wall of the latest room, ripping his gi a bit so that he'd have some kind of a bandage for the gash across his chest. While he robotically bandaged the wound, he wondered why the gas hadn't come earlier.

'They were testing my skill. If I could get past the first few rooms, then I was worth using the gas on. The gas wasn't meant to kill- their leader wants me to die at his hands... he'll die at mine, for having my Kaoru kidnapped.' His amber eyes regained their fire and he tried to stand up.

Big mistake.

The room swayed for a few minutes, then Battousai collapsed onto the ground, completely out.

Outside the window, the sun peaked over the horizen.

Kaoru's eyes widened in fear as she saw the man who had kidnapped her walk over to her, a knife in his hand. He made a big show of looking out the window, but that's all it was- a show. He knew that it was dawn, and Battousai was nowhere in sight.

"Looks like your man isn't here." Kaoru's heart gave a small flutter at Kenshin being called her man, but she knew it wasn't true. As well, her heart fluttered from something other then love. It was fear. It was dawn, and all she knew was that Kenshin was supposed to be here, with her. If he wasn't here, something bad would happen...

"Wh-what that's got to do with anything?" she asked, as the man advanced on her again.

"We have to teach Battousai a lesson. If he's not here on time... he gets punished." Then man drew the knife out into the early morning light, the blade glinting evily. He grabbed one of Kaoru's arms roughly and laid it on a nearby table. He slowly moved the knife down to her pinky finger. Kaoru was stiff with shock and fear.

"No... no!" Kaoru cried, trying with renewed vigor to get herself free from her bounds. " Get off of me!" The man didn't even pay attention to her- he was too busy looking at the small cut that had appeared on her finger. It was just a tiny, superficial cut, but it was bleeding. He smiled. It was time to return to what he truly loved- killing. But now he could take his time, unlike during the revolution- then he had always had to kill quickly, silently, and efficently. Here he could inflict maximum pain.

Kaoru whimpered as the blade cut into her skin, resolving not to scream.

She lost that resolve as soon as he started sawing the bone.

"KENSHIN!" she shrieked. She wiggled and twisted, but that didn't help. Tears poured openly down her face now- it was no use holding them back.

"NO!"

Kenshin sat up, holding his head until the ache subsided. He looked around. This wasn't the dojo, no indeed not.

His memories flooded back and he glanced despairingly out the nearby window.

Dawn. As if on cue, he heard Kaoru's scream tear through the flimsy walls.

"Kaoru!" he yelled in reply. She hadn't heard him- there was no way. Her screams were drowning out every noise. He raced towards the sound, praying that he wasn't too late. Even though his eyes had been purple when he had woken up, they were dotted with gold now. Molten gold, aflame with anger.

Kaoru kept on screaming as the man sawed the bone- it was nearly in two! The doors at the end of the room burst open, surprising the man enough to stop sawing the bone. Kaoru nearly sighed in relief, then turned to see who it was.

"Kenshin!" she exclaimed happily, noting the red hair and the cross scar, which were obvious from here. Then her blood ran cold.

Something was wrong with him. At first, she had thought that he had been wearing a red yukata, but now she realized that more then the yukata was red. He was stained, just covered in blood. She bit her lip in an effort not to scream at the sight. It was making her stomach turn...

Not even a quarter of it was his own. She was both grateful that he hadn't been hurt and worried about those that he had hurt, even though they were the reason for her pain.

"Ken...shin..." she whispered, catching sight of his eyes- the golden violet pools radiating anger. She shook. She had no doubt that that anger was at the man who had just been slicing open her finger.

"Battousai, we finally meet." The man beside her grinned. Ken- no, Battousai- met his gaze head on, staring steadily at the man, without blinking once.

"Give Kaoru back." Then his eyes rested on her, and seemed to soften a bit, but regained that intense look when his eyes landed on her pinky finger, transforming to pure gold. Kaoru cried, hating herself for the weakness, but needing to let her emotions out.

Her tears were the only noises in the room. She thought while she cried, wondering if she had ever been this hurt before, terrorized and having a finger nearly sliced off. Never...

Kenshin burst into the room, ready to spill blood as long as he upheld his vow. So far, he had managed to restrain his darker side from killing, but he desperately wanted to see this man's lifeblood pooling on the ground around him, hear as his breathing grew weak, then stopped altogether. He would pay for kidnapping Kaoru.

He faintly heard Kaoru whisper his name.

"Battousai, we finally meet." the man said- the man that was kneeling beside his Kaoru, who didn't looked harmed in any way...

"Give Kaoru back." He let his eyes do a through scan of her, and he realized that she was hurt.

'Her finger...' He saw bone, then he saw red and we're not talking about blood. His eyes transformed into liquid gold, and he didn't even try to supress his desire to kill the man kneeling before him.

"You hurt her."

"You knew what would happen were you not here by dawn." the man answered cooly, holding up the knife he had been using on Kaoru. Then the man made a big mistake.

He licked the knife, commenting on the taste.

"Ah, so sweet..." That was as far as the man got. Battousai's eyes literally glowed, his rage being enough to make his chi explode with a force, smothering those he considered enemies. The man's smile dropped off his face as he felt the energy pour from Battousai. A few objects- small ones- exploded by themselves at feeling the tension in the room.

"Let. Her. Go." Battousai said, narrowing his eyes into a glare that had reduced many men into fetal positions, begging for their lives. He could see that the man in front of him was sorely tempted to try that fetal-position trick too, not that he'd let him live anyway.

"Ah, but, Battousai... isn't it y-your fault that she's here?" the man said, his stutter and sweat betraying his emotions.

"It is your fault. I'll make you pay dearly for that mistake." He noticed Kaoru staring at him wordlessly. He couldn't read her face very well, but then again, he had his mind on other things.

"If you let her go now I won't draw your death out too long." Battousai said, face and voice expressionless. Kaoru stared at him, a look of horror on her face.

"No..." Kaoru whispered, watching the two men before her. "No"  
And the battle erupted around her.

Thanks again! (And please keep reviewing- it helps my muse!) 


	4. Chapter 4

Battousai readied himself for battoujitsu, preparing himself for when his opponent finally came at him. When Kaoru whispered no, it was as though someone had dropped a coin- it was their signal to start. Battousai watched in near amusement as the man raced towards him. It was barely a question of speed anymore- Battousai knew that he was faster, and got angrier with himself for not catching up with this swine on that chase...

"Huggggghhhhhhh." the man gasped, falling down on his side. Battousai has struck with his sword, knocking him aside as easily as you or I would swat a fly. The man went down and stayed there for a moment, gasping for breath. Battousai took that moment and went to Kaoru. He quickly severed the ropes binding her, and told her to run.

"Leave. You won't want to witness this." He turned away, but she pulled him back.

"Please... Kenshin.. don't kill. You swore not to kill..." The Battousai glared at her, and felt a twinge of remorse. He felt... guilty for glaring at her. It might have had something to do with the way she flinched, ecspecially when he spoke next.

"No." She whimpered, and he felt liked he had kicked a puppy. He brought her face up to his, and spoke to her in a softer tone of voice.

"He hurt something... very precious to me. Extremely precious." He let the back of his hand caress her cheek lightly, but then withdrew his hand, not even grimicing at the small streak of blood his touch had left on her cheek. "Don't you want me to kill him for you? For what he did to your hand?" Kaoru looked at him, big blue eyes brimming with tears.

"Yes, Kenshin, I do want him dead for causing you and me that kind of pain, but..." She took a deep breath, then continued. "...But a rurouni I love took a vow never to kill again, and I know that- if he kills- he'll never be able to wash off the blood." She looked deep into his eyes then, without flinching. "I don't want him to suffer that guilt." Her tears were pouring now, as she grabbed his hand and put it back on her cheek, not seeming to care that she'd get her face bloody too, as well as her sleeping yukata.

"I want my rurouni again..." She closed her eyes, feeling defeat wash over her, then she felt something else. She opened her eyes wide. Battousai was kissing her, but it was a chaste kiss, the kind you'd expect from the rurouni, not Battousai. She was about to let herself melt into it when she saw something beyond Battousai's shoulder that he couldn't. She screamed.

"Look out!" She grabbed Battousai in a tight embrace and turned them around, so that it was her back facing the man with death on his mind and in his eyes. His sword slashed her back open, not Battousai's. She saw his eyes widen in shock, then felt herself falling backwards. She vaguely sensed that she was smiling.

Then her eyes closed, the energy taken completely out of her by the days events.

Kaoru's thoughts/feelings

His lips were so sweet, and soft, almost like the fine silk I've seen in the markets. I so wanted to just kiss him- blood on his face or no- but...

Over his shoulder, I saw the man who had so cruelly cut open my finger. He had a blade in his hand. The fight came back to me.

'NO!' I thought violently, wrapping my hands around Kenshin and spinning us around, crying out.

"Look out!"

Battousai's thoughts/feelings

I was kissing her. In all my life, I had never kissed a woman so pure, nor with so much restraint. Then suddenly she was screaming, then turning us around. At first, I was confused, but then I saw her fall, back bloody and torn, yet somehow she was smiling. As she fell, a cold rage ignited within me. How dare he? How dare that man?

Battousai watched helplessly as Kaoru fell, a wound in her back. He kneeled over her unconscious body, searching for a pulse. After a few seconds of frantic searching, he found one. It wasn't that strong, but it was it's prescense that gave Battousai strength. He felt and heard the air whistle as a sword went by, aimed at his back, trying to give him a similar wound to the one on his woman. He gritted his teeth, and dodged the oncoming sword easily, Kaoru's body in tow. He knew that it wasn't wise to move her- it could circulate her blood faster, making her wounds run instead of trickle. He set her down gently, then faced his opponent, angerier then he had ever been.

"You hurt her..." His aura started to glow around him. "You swine..." Battousai spit the last word out, feeling his rurouni side echo his sentiments. The man looked afraid then, with good reason. The battle resumed, and this time, Kenshin didn't even seem to care if he got hurt, as long as he delivered a blow or two of his own. The two broke apart, bloody and panting from exhaustion. Kenshin's sword once again dripped, as he did. Blood pooled beneath the two fighters, thought neither noticed it.

Nothing moved, as if they were waiting for something.

"Not bad." the man said offhandedly, once he caught his breath. Now that he had actually fought the Battousai, and had seen him get as tired as any normal man meant that the Battousai was indeed human, and humans can be killed.

"Why don't you join us? Lose that nonsense 'rurouni' guise and return to the hitokiri you once were? We could use a swordsman of your skill."

"I have no need for a large group. You hurt Kaoru." Battousai took a few steps forward. Unconsciously, the man moved back. "I will not forgive that. Have you ever heard of someone hurting something or someone close to Hitokiri Battousai and livng to tell about it?" Each word was punctuated by another slow, deadly step forward. The man kept moving back, and soon he was at the wall.

"N-no, I have not." Battousai kept staring- just staring- at the pathetic creature in front of him. The man's face widened in realization, though he had suspected this all along.

Despite his vow never to kill again, the Battousai would take his life.

He didn't want to die. His numb fingers dropped his sword, and he flinched as he watched Hitokiri Battousai deliberately flip over his sword, so that the sharp edge would be the one to hit.

"You never will, either." Battousai raised his sword as the man slumped to the ground, staring wide-eyed at the sword that would sever his head from his body.

"No.. no..." he whispered, wondering where the hell he had gone wrong.

Kaoru opened her eyes groggily. Her back hurt, with a firey pain that couldn't be described. She touched it gentely, wincing, as her memories returned.

"Kenshin..." she whispered, touching her finger's to her lips. Just minutes before, he had kissed her. He hadn't ever shown feelings like this for her... ever... he had always been so polite, catering to her every need with a smile on his face, even though she had never done anything for him. He had never said a word about liking her, or her being his.

Wait a minute, hadn't it been Battousai who had kissed her?

'No.' she thought slowly, thinking everything out. 'Kenshin will always be Kenshin to me, no matter if his eyes are violet or amber. He's just more gentle and caring when his eyes are purple, and more possessive and violent when his eyes are golden. He'll always be my Kenshin.' She glanced around for him, and just spotted him as he raised his sword.

"- will, either." he said, getting ready to swing. The sword started down, impossibly fast, but it was like slow motion for the occupants of the room. Kaoru watched in horror as the sharp side of the sword glinted, realizing that this wasn't a knock out blow. This would kill the man. Kenshin would kill.

"KENSHIN! You're a Rurouni now, not Hitokiri anymore! KENSHIN!" How Kaoru managed to yell that out that quickly was a mystery to her. She struggled to get up, but her wound burned so much it was impossible at that moment. She felt Kenshin's eyes on her, and whispered.

"Not hitokiri... rurouni..."

All this had happened in three seconds.

Kaoru had shouted. Battousai processed the words quickly, but his sword still descended. He was forced to remember his vow, and his eyes widened at the horror he was about to commit. He didn't even register Kaoru's whisper. He tried to turn the sword over in mid-swing, milimeters from the man's neck, but her just managed to get it turned on a bit of an angle before the sword buried itself deep into the man windpipe.

No one had ever survived such a blow before. Kenshin dropeed the hilt of the sword, backing up and stumbling, numb. His eyes had gone back to purple.

The man gasped.

"Help me..." he whispered to no one. "Help me...!" the man crawled a few inches, his blood staining the floor, the outer edge of the puddle reaching to Kenshin's feet.

"No..." Kenshin whispered, afraid of himself. The man took one last shuddering breath,and died. His body stopped shaking on the floor, his glassy eyes staring, accusing Kenshin. The rurouni just stared at his hands. They were covered in blood again, both literally and figuratively. In his rage, he had disregarded this man's life. In the heat of battle, he had killed again, not thinking of the repercussions. He had held himself back in other battles, but this was the one in which he had killed, for the first time since the Bakumatsu ended.

"Kenshin..." Kaoru said, not wanting to startle him. Her effort was wasted. He quickly moved his head to look at her, his hair flopping and blood flying off of it. Now that he noticed it, after the heat of battle, he was soaked in blood, from head to toe, dripping with the ugly red liquid. His cuts were many, and major inujuries few. He just shot her that one scared, pained look,then looked back at his hands.

Blood already dried on them.

Kaoru watched him. She had watched him since the blade had struck home, killing the poor man in a few seconds. She stared, feeling like it was the only thing she could do, her expression a mixture of shock, fear, and remorse. She was shocked that Kenshin had actually killed someone, after all these years... she was sorry that the man was dead, but most of all, she was afraid of what Kenshin might do now- not afraid for her life, but for what he'd do to himself now that he had killed again.

"No..." Kenshin whispered, staring at his hands.

"Kenshin..." Kaoru whispered, seeing him 'wake up' as it were, like he had been in a trancelike state, and only now realized what had happened. She saw him glance at her, and was actually able to read his expression, so raw and powerful were his emotions. He was afraid. Afraid of himself. Many were critically wounded, a man was dead, just because of him.

"It's... my fault..." Kenshin whispered. Kaoru said nothing, probably the worst path to take. He saw it as her blaming him, and a small part of her did blame him, so he wasn't too far off the mark.

"Kenshin... you did kill him, but you tried to stop yourself.." Kaoru said, knowing that the words were useless. Kenshin knew it too.

"Did I?" he asked out loud. "Did I do everything to turn the blade around? Or did I just make a half-hearted attempt? Either way, he is dead by my hand, after I swore not to kill again." He laughed faintly, a dry, humourless laugh. "Even using a sword with a reversed blade couldn't stop my nature to kill..." 


	5. Chapter 5

Kaoru tried to stand up and managed to get to her knees. She crawled the rest of the way to Kenshin, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

"You should stay away from me." he told her tonelessly. She ignored him and scooted a little closer.

"Kenshin, you tried to turn around the blade. I saw it myself. Once you realized that you were going to kill someone, you tried to stop and turn around the blade- to knock the person out. You're a good person, deep inside. You're gentle, not a killer. That's your nature." Kenshin shook off her hand.

"I am a killer Kaoru. I've killed thousands of men. Can you honestly say that I'll never kill again, after this? It's just a matter of time before I kill again. In time I could be as bad as Jin'e."

"You won't be, Kenshin. You won't kill again. I don't believe that you will." Kaoru said gently. She pulled his face towards hers. For the first time he noted the blood on her face. He saddened at the sight.

"My touch leaves blood everywhere. It's my fault half the time that you're in danger. It's my fault that you have three freeloaders at your dojo. It's my fault that this man is dead." He gestured behind him, eyes turning a bit red. She kept looking at him, knowing that he wouldn't pull away if she didn't.

"It's also your fault, then, that I met the man I love the most, that I have a student, that Gohei didn't kill me, that I still have the dojo. It's also your fault that I always have clean clothes and have friends. The lives you've saved through your actions outweigh the lives you've taken. Megumi-san, you saved her life, letting her live to save hundreds of others. Their lives have been saved by your actions, and Megumi's. Sano would have kept fighting, and he might have injured someone so badly that that person died, or they couldn't get to a hospital in time, so that more lives you've saved. What if Gohei and Kihei hadn't been apprehended? I wouldn't have the dojo, and Gohei would have killed many more people. Since I'm training Yahiko, and we know that he'll grow up to be a great swordsman, he can save even more lives. You saved Megumi by not letting her kill herself, saved Sano by fighting him and then showing compassion, you saved Yahiko by telling him to train with me and rescuing him from the gang that held his leash." Kaoru took a deep breath, shocked at her speech. Kenshin seemed shocked too, staring at her eyes in wonderment.

"But..." Kenshin started, then stopped, unable to continue. "I was only responsible for those three lives. The lives they save don't have any connection to me."

"Kenshin, if you really believe that, then what would have happened had you never been born? The revolution might not have even been successful. Had it been, and everyone was still living like they were, then Megumi would still be working on opium, Yahiko would still be pickpocketing and getting beaten by that gang, and Sanosuke would still be fighting and angry at the patriots. Shisho would still have the Ten Swords and would have burned Kyoto."

"That may be true, but it might not have been." He looked down, his eyes passing over her shoulder as he did so. He could see the redness her blood caused.

"Kaoru... your wound!" he cursed himself for being so selfish. While they had been talking, Kaoru's wound had bled.

"Oh..." she said, looking over her shoulder to her back. "I... I must have forgotten. I don't think it's as deep as we thought." Kaoru smiled at him, trying to stand up. She barely succeeded. "See?" she smiled again, wobbling a bit on her feet. Kenshin stood up.

"Kaoru-dono, you shouldn't be-"

"Kaoru." Kaoru corrected. "It's just Kaoru. You weren't using -dono a few minutes ago, so you shouldn't use it now." Kaoru tried to take a few steps, but slipped, twisting her ankle.

"Ow..." she hissed, holding her ankle close, noting that Kneshin was right beside her. "I think I twisted it.."

"Let me see." Kenshin asked. Kaoru adjusted her yukata so that it wouldn't show anything embarrassing or improper, then moved her leg so that Kenshin could see it. She blushed at the gentle way he probed the swollen joint.

"Yes, it's definately twisted, Kaoru." he said. "We should go to Megumi-dono and see if she can give you something for it."

"We'd have to go there anyways. The wounds you got... some may need stitches, and this definately will." Kaoru said, motioning to her back. Kenshin placed her ankle gentely back down, then stood up.

"I'll be right back with Megumi-dono." Kenshin said, getting ready to leave, but Kaoru called him back.

"Won't it be quicker if you just carry me? Or if I walk?" she suggested haistily, not wanting him to think that she was begging him to carry her. She then remembered that she had as good as said that she had loved him a few minutes ago. Recalling that conversation, she also remembered that he had said that the man had hurt something precious to him, extremely precious- and then he had stroked her cheek. He had to know that she loved him, unless he didn't remember her words, or hadn't had time to think about what she had meant. Or, he could think that she hadn't meant them.

Kenshin hesitated.

"It may not be wise to move you with a twisted ankle..."

"My dad always carried me to the clinic when I accidently twisted my ankle. If I had a broken bone, then it would be different. Or a concussion."

"Your yukata will get stained." Kenshin said, clearly nervous. Kaoru could tell that it wasn't something about her that he was hesitating about- in the past, he'd had no qualms about carrying her. Even when they had first met, he had grabbed her so she wouldn't be killed by Gohei's descending sword. Why the hesitation now? It certainly wasn't the yukata...

"It's already stained, look." True enough. Neither her nor his yukata would ever be worn again. Then the reason clicked.

"I don't mind, you know. It's okay." He had thought that she hadn't wanted him to touch her, but she had shown that she was okay with that.

'Well, those were just small things, small touches. If he carries me, he can drop me at any moment. I put more trust in him if I have him carry me.'

"All right then." Kenshin said, picking her up gently, then racing away towards the clinic, careful not to jar her any more then he had to. The big problem was when they reached town, the marketplace area. Kaoru had fallen unconscious by now, the blood loss getting the best of her. (It had been a shallow wound, but it had been long, and had bled awhile.)

Completely disregarding their physical appearences, Kenshin ran right through town, ignoring the horrified gasps and screams of people as they saw him and hurried out of his way. He burst into the clinic, demanding to see Megumi.

"Where is Megumi-dono?" he asked, loud enough to be heard. Slowly, every face in the clinic turned to him, except for those patients that couldn't turn their heads at all. They all stared, seemingly too afraid to move away, like he'd leap and attack if they breathed.

"I'll ask again: where is Megumi-dono?" Kenshin demanded, taking two steps farther in, and then he saw her. Megumi had just come from the back room, holding a small bottle of some sort of herb, walking towards him. She had her eyes on the bottle, so she didn't see him, but she had heard her name called, and so she came.

"I'm right here, what can I help... you... with?" Megumi's steps and voice faltered a bit when she finally looked up.

"Ken-san?" she asked carefully. Kenshin nodded and lifted Kaoru up a bit, directing Megumi's attention to the unconscious girl.  
"Kaoru is hurt. Sword wound to the back and twisted ankle. Where can I put her?" Excited buzzing grew behind Megumi, but she just directed him to a nearby cot, telling him to lay her on her front, head to the side so she could breathe. Once that was done she shooed him away. It would be improper for him to stay any longer...

"Go see Yahiko-kun and Sano." she told him, directing him to their cots, then glanced at his clothes. "But maybe you should take a bath first. We're all doctors here, but you're drenched in blood. What happened?"

"I'll tell you later." Kenshin said. "Just work on Kaoru for now, please." He stood and left, leaving Megumi to stitch up the sword wound on Kaoru. He went to visit Sano first, not caring about the stares he was getting. The attention wasn't as focused on him as it had been when he entered, and he was thankful for that. Most of the doctors were now just concentrating solely on their patients. He didn't know it, but Megumi stared after him.

'Purple eyes, but... Ken-san said 'I'?'

He located Sano first. He was asleep, and heavily bandaged.

"Sano." Kenshin said, tapping him to wake him up. The bandages and lack of attention anyone was paying Sano told him that Sano was well out of critical condition. Sano just mumbled.

Kenshin tapped him a little harder, saying his name a little louder too.

"Sano!" Sano's eyes opened slowly, then widened.

"Great Kami!" he said, looking at Kenshin and trying to sit up, but couldn't quite manage it. He looked closer at the scar on Kenshin's cheek. "Kenshin? Is that you? Where's Jo-chan?"

"We're both fine, Sano. Did Megumi-dono reach you?" Sano snorted.

"She did- good thing too. I was out. I woke up here while they stitched me up. It was so drugged up that I couldn't even feel it. How's the brat's arm?"

"I haven't visited Yahiko yet, if that's what you're asking." Sano nodded, then his eyes dawned in recognition.

"Hey, you said 'I'!" Kenshin nodded.

"Yes, that I did." Sano looked closer at Kenshin's eyes, and, finding them purple, was throughly puzzled.

"What happened to 'this one'?"

"That's for... another time. I must visit Yahiko now, and you must rest." Kenshin got up, not wanting to dwell on the reason he no longer used his 'rurouni language'.

"Wait a min-!" But Kenshin was gone.

"Damnit!" Sanosuke swore, but remained lying down. He'd get the truth out of Kenshin later.

Kenshin found Yahiko easily. He was sleeping too. Kenshin just had to shake Yahiko once or twice for him to wake up, and then the kid's reaction was a lot like Sano's.

"Yikes! Kenshin, where's all that blood from?" Unfortunately, Yahiko had none of Sano's insight about what to ask. He also didn't have Sano's self-control. He looked sick at the sight of the blood. "And where's busu?"

"We're fine Yahiko. I came to see how you were. Yahiko gestured to his arm, a frustrated frown on his face.

"With this, I can't practice for a few months!" he grumbled.

"Well... that's okay. Kaoru will understand." Kenshin assured the boy, a smile on his face. He stood up.

"I'm going to wash some of this blood off. Goodnight." Yahiko just nodded, closing his eyes. Kenshin smiled at the innocent boy lying there, then left the clinic, heading back to the dojo- it had the closest baths that he could use for free. As soon as he was there, he heated the water a little, then stripped off his yukata and got in. He didn't normally take baths in the morning, but today he had to. He scrubbed at all the dried blood, getting it off. He was gentler with his own wounds, but he still scrubbed them.

He felt as though he'd never be clean again. 


	6. Chapter 6

Kenshin sat up, sweating. He had- once again- dreamt of killing that man. he looked at his hands, half-expecting them to be covered in blood.

He didn't go to the market much anymore, nor even to the Akebeko most of the time. Now, everyone except those that stayed in the dojo or Megumi backed away from him, even though he smiled the same rurouni smile, bought the same foods with the same money, said the same words, and walked back the same way.

At the dojo, he had been using 'I', 'me', 'mine', and had been calling Kaoru-dono by just her name since that night, but no one commented on it- much.(No one even really noticed that his sakabato was gone.) Kaoru occasionally asked him why he used 'I', 'me', and 'mine' now, but he never told anyone, and her efforts to get him to tell her had dwindeled over the weeks. Only he knew the reason, and only he would ever know the reason.

'I killed that man, breaking my vow as a rurouni. I turned back into the hitokiri. Everytime I speak, I remind myself that it was my fault, and no one else's. Going back to 'this one', even if it was 'this unworthy one' would be just like fortgetting that man's death and moving on.' Kenshin lay back down, thinking of the second half of his dream.

Oh, how he hated that half.

Even though it had started with that man, he'd dream that the scene had shifted, and he was murdering Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, and Kaoru. It was the last that horrified him the most. Kenshin closed his eyes, begging the nightmares to leave him alone.

Kaoru smiled. She and Kenshin were kissing... the feeling was so sweet.

"I love you Kenshin." she mumbled, hugging him tightly. He put his arms around her and kissed her back.

"I love you, Kaoru." There had never been any doubt that he had loved her. It had been like this since forever...

Kaoru woke up, hand to her lips. She sat up, finger lightly tracing them.

"Oh..." she sighed, sad that it had just been a dream. 'But then again, he really did kiss me, if only just that once...' Kaoru thought, but then her contented smiled turned sad and angry.

'But, since then, he's acting like it never happened! Well, maybe it didn't, and I'm just imagining things... I had just had my finger nearly cut off and had a sword wound in my back, it's perfectly possible that I was hallucinating...' She looked at the wounded finger, flexing it. It seemed to be healing fine. She sighed. Megumi still had to look at her finger and her back, weeks after the incident.

'Everyone still wonders what happened.' Kaoru thought. Megumi always inquired about it, but she hadn't told anyone yet. Yahiko was blunt with his questions, but neither she nor Kenshin had answered. Sano- subtle as he might be with his inquiries- also pestered them about it.

They still didn't know that Kenshin had killed someone.

All they knew was that Kenshin wasn't his same old self anymore- he was much quieter. Even she wondered about what he was thinking sometimes.

She groaned in frustration. This was getting her nowhere. She'd have to ask Kenshin outright what was bothering him, and hope he'd answer. She tried to get back to sleep, and she hoped she'd be able to.

The next day went much the same as the day before that, and the day before that. Since the Incident- as it was coming to be known around the dojo- their days had fallen into a pattern.  
For Kenshin, he always awoke before the others, made their breakfeast with what the others had gotten the day before or they had in stock, eat a little while trying to make it look like he had eaten more, do the dishes, do the laundry, make lunch, eat, do the dishes, watch Kaoru and Yahiko practice, make dinner, eat, do the dishes, pretend to sleep. It was boring because it was just a repetition, but it served Kenshin well. After doing this for as long as he had, it was second nature to him, and he could put his body on a sort of autopilot while he thought, trying to come to terms with the death of that one man. The only thing irregular about his schedule was the questions he was asked, what times they were asked at. The most popular time for grilling Kaoru and him seemed to be mealtimes.

Kaoru's schedule varied a little from his, for she awoke before the others as well. The things he did that she didn't do were cook (for which everyone was thankful) and clean. Sano grilled them both when he showed up at mealtimes, but otherwise he followed his same old schedule. He practiced by himself, or gambled, or drank, whichever he felt like doing. Yahiko followed Sano's schedule, except that he didn't drink or gamble. Megumi asked the about the Incident whenever she was over.

It was pathetic. They could live the same day over and over, without knowing any difference.  
Today, however, Kaoru vowed to change the schedule. They got past lunch without any changes, but she sent Yahiko off to town to get some vegetables that she had, ahem, 'forgot'. Yahiko grumbled, but the complaining stopped when she asked him if he'd rather clean up the entire dojo. He left.

Kaoru took a drink of water from the well, then went off to find Kenshin. It didn't take long. He was sitting in front of the dojo, on the steps. Ordinarily, he would have had his sakabato with him, but it was still at the fort in the woods. She sat down beside him. He didn't react. He must have known that she was there.

"Hi Kenshin." she said softly, not whispering, but talking in a slightly quieter tone.

"Hello Kaoru." he replied, equally soft, if not softer. "What do you want with me?" Deciding not to beat around the bush, she came right out with it.

"What do you think about?" She had startled him. He could sense it when a person came, but he couldn't sense questions.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He looked right at her then, for just a minute or two.  
"You're always so quiet. You don't use 'this one' anymore. I just wanted to know why." He stiffened. Sensing that this was an obviously sore subject for him, she stood quickly and blushed, feeling a little embarrassed about prying into his affairs.

"G-Gomen. It's not my business, it's just that I was wondering..." She got ready to leave, turning around, but then a hand grabbed her arm.

"Please, stay. Your prescence is... " Kenshin seemed lost for words, but then he released her arm. "Nevermind. You have things to do as a dojo master. Don't let me keep you."

'I shouldn't be comforted by her being near me. I broke a ten year vow, I deserve this guilt.' To his surprise, Kaoru sat back down.

"Yahiko's gone, for a few minutes at least. I can stay here. It's okay." He glanced into her eyes, seeing an emotion there- if not love, then at least acceptance- and so let her stay.

'How can she still accept me? After what I did, even though she knows what I did...' They never noticed as their hands- their bodies seeming to have a will of their own- inched closer. They never even said anything, not wanting to bring the other's attention to their interlocked hands. Kaoru had a faint blush, but didn't move.

They stayed like that until Yahiko came back, demanding that Kaoru teach him a new move for the time he had wasted. With Yahiko's arrival, they practically jumped apart.

Kenshin was making dinner, quietly as usual. He chopped the vegetables, boiled the water, mixed the stew, all the while reflecting on this afternoon.

'Kaoru and I held hands. Did she even notice? Does it mean anything beyond friendship?' Unconsciously, he put a hand to his lips. Even though Kaoru probably thought that he had forgotten it, their first kiss was clear in his mind, as was that one conversation that they had had... For a moment, he allowed his attention to wander, ignoring the stew. It could take care of itself for a minute. He remembered the kiss, his caress on her cheek, how smooth it had felt, how it had left a small line of drying blood. He stared at the had that had touched her.

'Everywhere I go, everything I touch, it always ends up bloody. Even Kaoru, though she's too innocent and forgiving to ever have to so much as see blood, let alone as much as I showed her that night.' Kenshin turned his attention back to the stew. He would think more about this later. However, her words rang in his mind, the words that she had spoken soon before they had left.

'"It's also your fault, then, that I met the man I love the most..."' Kenshin remembered. 'Did she mean me?'

'A question for another time.'

Kaoru was in her room, hugging a pillow and smiling a small smile. She had worked up the courage to actually hold his hand! It didn't matter if he had realized that she had or not, but -in her mind- the relationship had stepped up the pace slightly, from friend to just beyond that, one step closer to him being her boyfriend.

'If only he'd actually realize how I feel for him...' She traced her lips again, unable and unwilling to let their kiss slip her mind. Even if it had been the imaginings of a fevered brain, she never wanted to forget.

Ever.

To her, it didn't matter if he was covered in blood or completely clean. He had spent years atoning- he should be happy.

'I want him to be happy...' 


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks all! I love the reviews!

Dinner was served silently. No one spoke during dinner, as was the norm nowadays.

Surprisingly, Megumi was eating over at the dojo today. She had to check over Kaoru's stitches and had to redo some- Kaoru had strained her back a bit much and the stitches were a bit loose. By the time Megumi was done, it had been too late for her to walk home by herself. She had accepted the offer of an escort and had stayed for dinner, mostly because her escort was Sanosuke, and Sano wouldn't leave without eating.

The five people sat around the table, sipping soup and eating rice quietly. Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi were trying to figure out how to get Kenshin and Kaoru to talk about what had happened during the Incident, and Kenshin and Kaoru were reflecting on it.

'Sake makes people talkitive... maybe Kaoru has some around here? But then again, Kenshin doesn't drink often.. damn.' Sano thought, his mind coming up with serveral ways to get them to talk, and then vetoing them because they wouldn't work.

'I'm a member of Team Kenshin, I have a right to know what happened. Nobody ever tells me anything!' Yahiko fumed, but then reflected on teh sight Kenshin had made when he stormed into the clinic. 'Then again, maybe I don't want to know.' The normally half-starved boy put down his rice cake, deciding not to touch it again. 'I'm so happy I was drugged... I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass myself...' (Throwing up is embarrassing... A/N)

'There's a lot they're not telling us. This could turn into a mental problem soon if they don't speak... the clinic may not be equipped to help them..' Megumi thought, sipping her tea.

'I hope he realizes what I meant.. or that he hasn't. I wish I would make up my mind!' Kaoru thought, unsure if she wanted Kenhsin to know that she loved him. 'He's smart enough to figure it out... what if he does?'

'Kaoru... she shouldn't see any blood. It's my fault. She has to hate me for what I did...' Kenshin reflected sadly. 'But still... she did hold my hand back then, on the porch. Maybe she didn't realize? Maybe it was only a friendly gesture... but still, she did say that I helped her meet the man she loves the most. Could it be me? Maybe it is just wishful thinking- I don't deserve her. It's not me- can't be. I've killed so many it's not even worth wishing that I could be loved again.' Kenshin looked out of the corner of his eye at Kaoru.

'She'll always be Miss Kaoru to me- I just wish that she could be my Mrs. Kaoru.'

Soon, dinner was over. Kenshin took the dishes and went to the wash basein. Kaoru went to her room, and Yahiko went to the dojo to practice. Megumi and Sano said their goodbyes and left.

"Ken-san seems so quiet." Megumi commented, once they were on the road. Sano just snorted.

"He's been like that for ages. Won't talk about the Incident either."

"He should. It's not healthy to keep something as obviously distressing like that inside."

"Spare him the lecture- won't work. Come to think, spare me the lecture too."

"But you do agree that he should talk about it." Sano nodded.

"Of course! No one normally comes into a clinic, holding the girl he loves the most, covered in blood, and demands medical service for the girl only, without making me curious."

"It would make anyone curious." Megumi said, then fell silent. Sano did as well. What could be said after that? there wasn't much more to talk about. Shortly after that, they arrived in town. A buzz flitted through the air. Everyone was uneasy about something. Sano and Megumi spotted some policemen near an alley, and they seemed to be holding people off. The chief wasn't around though, so they didn't have much of a hope of getting information. They also noted that the Akabeko was closed, which was surprising- it shouldn't have closed until much later.

Sano went up to the crowd that had formed around the police, pushing and shoving to the front, which was where the people who knew the most normally were. He spotted one of his friends and asked him what was going on.

"The police found a body in the alley... dead from sword wounds..." Sano's friend swallowed. "...and they found a building full of bodies, near the Akabeko, just inside the forested area. It smells so bad near there the Akabeko had to close down. We have a murderer on the loose."

"What? Do you know anything else?" Sano asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach, as though this were connected to something. Namely, the Incident. He knew that his friend was a part-time policeman, due to the call for more of the boys in blue since the Bakumatsu had ended. "Just between you and me of course." His friend glanced around, then leaned in to whisper.

"This isn't known by any but the police, but there were at least twenty bodies in the building in the woods. All of them were ex-hitokiri, and they all died of wounds to the heart, excpet for this one guy. He, we found with a partially severed neck. We don't recognize the weapon used, and no weapon was found on the scene."

Kenshin scrubbed the dishes. Scrub, scrub, scrub. The food would come off of one dish, leaving it clean, and he'd put it aside to dry, grabbing the next. This allowed his mind to wander.

'Kaoru should marry someone who has money, who can provide for her. I have nothing, not even my sakabato anymore.' Kenshin paused to feel the strange emptiness that accompanied the thought of his lost blade. It was said that a swordsman's blade was his soul... strange how right that seemed. The blade that had accompanied him for ten years, physical proof of his vow, was gone.  
He wasn't even worthy of a reverse blade anymore. He had to be the lowest form of life there was, living off the kindness of Kaoru. He didn't even really do anything for her in return.

The dish was clean. He set it aside, grabbing a new one, not even aware that his thoughts were as repetitive as his motions.

Kaoru was sitting in her room. She couldn't sleep just yet.

'I have to tell him, or at least tell the others about the Incident. If I keep every one of my secrets, they'll turn around and bite me.' She closed her eyes and sighed, looking down.

'I'm a fool. Kenshin too mature and nice for me. I'm just an idiot that he has to clean up after and does the cooking for.' Kaoru scowled. 'I am not! Besides, Kenshin's too polite to ever think such things...'

"But Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi aren't." she said quietly. She thought a bit, now resting her chin on her knee.

'He might not have had time to reflect on what I meant, or he may have forgotten about it... I can learn to cook, and give him more time to think!' She congratulated herself on the plan, seeing the fact that it would be Kenshin teaching her as an added bonus.

Sano and Megumi were walking to her house, reflecting on the info they had learned from his cop friend. Just before she entered her house, she came up with a plan.

"Maybe we could get Ken-san to talk by telling him about the murderer?" At Sano's skeptical look, she continued, frowning slightly.

"Think about it. Remember when he was in Rakuninmura? He didn't come out of there when we asked him about revenge, but when Yahiko was in danger. Perhaps if he sees that the town is in danger, he'll snap out of this and eventually talk about what happened?"

"Or maybe that's just a crazy idea, fox." When she opened her mouth to object, he smiled. "It could work, as long as he doesn't get himself killed protecting the town. He doesn't have his sakabato anymore, remember?" Megumi sighed.

"It is worth a try."

"I'll tell him after breakfast tomorrow."

And there you have it! It gets better soon, I hope... Who here spotted the plot twist? One fact mentioned here tells you everything you need to know about the murderer. Well, at least what weapon he uses.  
So, question for those of you who think they know the answer! What is the murderer's weapon, and how can you tell? 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks everyone, again! I love ya all! Please enjoy!

"Hey Kenshin!" Sano called in greeting. It was the next morning.

'I hope the fox's plan works.' he thought grimly. 'How the hell am I supposed to bring up a murder? We never even talk anymore- and murder isn't something you usually talk about over breakfast...'

Sano slumped down to his usual seat, resting his chin in his palm. It would be a while before breakfast yet- he had time to think.

"Good morning, Sano." Yahiko grumbled, taking his usual seat. "They're still not talking."

"Don't expect miracles, Yahiko-chan." Sano said. The response was instantaneous, expected, and well-practiced.

"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko said angrily. Sano sighed. Yup, he was still normal.  
Kenshin walked quietly out of the kitchen, carrying the food trays. He placed them on the table and sat down, grabbing his own food. Soon after he sat down, Kaoru came out of her room.

They ate in silence. The silence had a thicker air to it, a foreboding tone that warned anyone away from speaking.

'Damnit- I'm supposed to break this and talk about murder?' Sano thought, swallowing some of his tea. He ate the last of his rice, wondering how he'd find an excuse to stay there a bit longer...

Yahiko set his cup down and grabbed his plate. Kenshin did the same, but stopped Yahiko from moving.

"I can get that." Kenshin picked the plates up and went to the wash basein.

'I could have told you that is what he'd do. Then he'll grab Jo-chan's plate, then mine, and then he'll go out to do laundry...' Sano sighed and shoved his plate away from himself. He needed an excuse to stay longer. He didn't normally hang around after meals...

"Sanosuke..." Kaoru said, as though what she was asking was pointless, like she already knew his answer. "Will you stay and help clean up the dojo? It will go a lot quicker..."

'The things I do when I'm curious...' Sano forced a smile.

"Of course I will, Jo-chan." he said, barely managing to keep his legs from pushing up and heading out the door.

"You can't? Too bad.-" Kaoru looked at him with awe written on her face. "Huh?"

"I just said I'll help. Don't look so shocked- Kenshin doesn't like it when you look shocked, especially with me." Kaoru blushed, but then the red in her face turned into a different shade.

Anger.

"Sano..." she warned, grabbing her bokken and racing after him for the 'Kenshin' comment.

'Where does Jo-chan get these things?' Sano wondered idly as he ran.

"It was a JOKE!" he yelled over his shoulder. 'Why do I do this to myself? I KNOW that their relationship is a soft spot for Kenshin and Jo-chan- so easy to poke fun at them for it'  
Kaoru ignored him- she had been way too frustrated with the way things had been going between her and Kenshin lately- well, between Kenshin and everyone- so she had just exploded at the little joke.

She stopped. After a few minutes, when Sano realized that she wasn't chasing him anymore, he stopped too, breathing hard.

'Maybe this isn't the best time to bring up teh murder thing... I'll come up with a new plan...' He edged over to the gate, waving goodbye over his shoulder.

"Bye, Jo-chan!" he called, promising that he'd run like hell as soon as he was out of the dojo gates- Jo-chan might not remember in time to stop him.

"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" she asked him. "You promised to help with the dojo clean-up!"

"Umm... just remembered a previous engagement!" he said, turning around and running right into someone. Sano fell over backwards, then looked at teh person he had run into.

It was the person he least expected to see.

"Cheif Uramura?" (Is that his name? If not, then that is the Police Chief's name in my fic. You know, the mustache guy that asked for help with Jin-e?) The police chief ignored him, looking straight at Kaoru.

"Please, is Himura-san here?"

"He should be cleaning up after brea-"

"I am here. What do you need?" Kenshin asked. Slowly, all the faces turned towards Kenshin. He had just appeared, almost as if from thin air.

"Please, Himura-san, we need you to help us with another murderer."

'Damnit, the cat's out of the beg. At least I didn't have to say anything...' Sano thought, looking at Kenshin. 'Wait did he just... stiffen?'

"Gomen nasai, but I can't help. I don't have my sakabato anymore- I lost it." Kenshin said, smiling. The smile was so obviously false, however, that it hurt to look at it.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine, Kaoru. Don't worry about me. Now, there is laundry to be done! I have full confidence in our police force to handle it." Kenshin strode away, the fake-chipper smile still on his face.

"Himura-san, we could lend you a katana from the disbanded sword corps! We need your help with this one." At the word 'katana', Kenshin stiffened even more.

"I gave up katana's long ago. I am fine as I am now. Now, the laundry..." Kenshin said, moving farther away. The chief shook.

"What's wrong? Surely it's not that bad..." Kaoru said. The chief glanced at her and nodded gravely.

"Last night, the murderer struck again. He killed a man in an alley and later took out three of our men by himself before escaping. We need Himura-san's help on this one- we believe it be an ex-hitokiri unhappy with the government."

"There seem to be a lot of those." Sano muttered, getting up. He was puzzled by Kenshin's behavior- why was he so upset about using a real sword?

'I've got to get him to talk!' Sano vowed, cracking his knuckles absentmindedly. He went after Kenshin.

"I'm sorry, but I dont think that Kenshin can help- not until we find him a new reverse-blade, at least." Kaoru said quietly, remembering the Incident.

"Wouldn't Himura-san be fine with a katana, just for one night? The whole town is in danger like this..." the chief pleaded, but Kaoru shook her head before turning back to the dojo.

"I'm sorry, but Kenshin vowed to never pick up a katana again. Those swords can kill." Kaoru said, walking away.

'Kenshin, do you really trust yourself that little?'

Thank you all again! Hugs! 


	9. Chapter 9

Sano had caught up to Kenshin, just as the rurouni reached the laundry.

"What's wrong with you?" sano asked- not rudely, as some may have expected. He asked it as though he had asked 'what's wrong?'. However, it was clear that- despite his tone of voice- that Sano wasn't happy.

"I was going to tell you about the murderer, but you found out from the chief. Now you're acting all funny. What's with you? Does it have something to do with the Incident? What exactly happened?" Kenshin turned to Sano, eyes sad and ...lost, somehow, as though he had tured so basdly astray that he couldn't see his path anymore, much less follow it.

"I can let the police handle this one, Sano." Kenshin said. "I have no sakabato. The police will handle this, I am sure of it." Kenshin turned and knelt next to the basein for the laundry, grabbing the first piece to be washed. Sano sighed and turned away, walking out of the dojo.

If he had looked, he would have noticed that Kenshin seemed to scrub his hands at least twice as often as he scrubbed the dirty kimono.

Kenshin scrubbed the red kimono as hard as he could, not minding in the least if he got his hands a few times... he did it on purpose. He sighed and sat back, not even noticing Kaoru approaching.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, making him jump.

"I'm sorry, I did not realize that you were behind me." he said, then smiled a big, fake smile. "I'm fine, I just do not wish to help this time. I want to settle into a quiet life." Kaoru groaned inwardly. What could she say to that?

''Quiet life?' Kenshin's life will never be quiet. He should know that...' Kaoru looked him in the eye.

"You're a swordsman, Kenshin. You will always return to the sword. Be it a katana, bokuto, or sakabato, you will return, and soon." She knelt next to him, but he dropped her gaze. "I trust you, Kenshin, but why can't you trust yourself? To me, you're still the same Kenshin, and I can't stand to see Kenshin sad. I know that you won't kill again- I've told you a thousand times that you won't." Kaoru stood up and walked away.

"I like it when Kenshin is happy. Please, cheer up." She left, heading to her room presumably to change for the day's practice.

'I don't trust myself. She may trust me all she wants, but how do I repair my broken trust? Self-trust, once broken, is the hardest to heal.' Kenshin looked back into the wash basein.

A man's face stared back at him, the surrounding water bloody. Kenshin froze in shock and horror. He almost backed away before he saw through the illusion. The red kimono that he had been washing, and the air bubbles had made a pattern like a face in the red material.

'My own demons haunt me now, too, in the daylight. When will I be free of that memory?' Kenshin shuddered and quickly put his hands back in the soapy- not bloody, he told himself- water.

He scrubbed his hands more than the clothes from that point on, causing a short chore to last until he had to prepare dinner. He left the drying material on the rack and went to the kitchen area. lamost as soon as he entered, he noticed that they were out of rice.

'Now I'll have to ask Kaoru for the money to go buy some more...' he thought, searching for the kenjutsu teacher. She gave him the money with a smile.

"See you soon." she said. He looked out the window.

"I'll be back a little after sunset." he said out loud. "I can prepare dinner then." She nodded, and then he was on his way.

The chief was panicking. He hadn't been lying. He hadn't lost three men in one go since the fake 'Battousai' incident when Himura-san had first arrived. It was terrible, just terrible.  
He was looking through the papers on the desk, going over the facts for anything he might have missed.

"At least twenty bodies... smell attracted Akabeko's nose after a few days, forcing him to close down... no weapon found... weapon used to kill is unknown... building in woods was where the murders took place... victims seemed to be unconscious when blade went in... all had already suffered minor wounds from same weapon... only one was found nearly beheaded, in a room by himself." he sat back, wishing he knew this. It seemed that one thing was the key to all of this seemingly useless info. He was missing one piece of the puzzle- but what?

'It couldn't have anything to do with the kidnapping of that Kamiya girl a little while ago?' the chief thought.

He dismissed the idea.

'No way Himura-san would kill, let alone that many people.' The chief thought, locking up the station for the day. All afternoon he had poured over the info, and he had no more clues than when he started.

He walked away from the station, still pondering.

"I know that there is only one or two things I'm missing." he said, not feeling the eyes that watched his back. He stopped at a hill near his home to watch the sunset. It might help him think.

Kenshin had purchased the rice, and was now back on his way to the dojo, the bag slung over his shoulder.

'I should leave the dojo. Next time I kill, it may be Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, or even Kaoru.' He shuddered. In his mind, there was no doubt that he'd kill again. He had gone off when someone had nearly cut off her pinky, and then sliced her back. Who was to say that he wouldn't go off if someone hurt her in any way?

'She reminded me of Tomoe.' he thought. The events that he had witnessed long ago- the death of his wife at his hand- had sort of tied in to the present moment. He had seen Kaoru- the woman he loved more than life- jump in front of his to try and save his life. Well, not exactly jump, but it was the same difference.

He stopped walking. He saw the chief sitting on a nearby hill.

'I should go apologize for my rudeness earlier.' he thought, but an uneasy feeling crept inside his mind. Something was wrong.

It felt as though he was being watched.

Kenshin glanced around, trying to locate the eyes he felt on his back. He saw a shadow move.

'There. I can feel the fighting ki all the way over here.' he thought, one hand reaching down to grab the hilt of his sakabato... His hand grabbed air.

'That's right.. I don't have it anymore...' Another pang of loss for his sword. The shadow sprung past Kenshin, heading towards the chief.

'It wasn't me- the murder case. I'd bet anything I own that this is connected.' Kenshin thought, heading after the shadow. Apparently the shadow hadn't noticed him, or chose to ignore him. Kenshin saw a blade in it's hand, but the blade was... strange.

'I recognize that weapon.' he thought, but couldn't place it. At the moment, he stopped thinking about it.

The shadow had reached the chief.

'There is something I'm missing... what is it?' the chief wondered, watching to sun go down. Suddenly he heard a rush of displaced air, and he heard running steps. He turned around, but slowly.

A man dressed completely in black was running at him, a blade drawn. Something about the man told him that this was the murderer they searched for. He stood up as quickly as possible, one hand on the hilt of his own sword.

What told him that it was the murderer? Maybe it was the merciless, cold and bloodthirsty look in the man's green eyes? Perhaps it was the blade? It was different from any other blade... but didn't he recognize this one?

"Halt!" he ordered. As expected, the man kept running. He drew his sword. Just behind the man, the chief caught sight of someone else.

'Himura-san!'Too late- the man was upon him. The chief didged the first thurst, but the return of the blade caught him off-guard, nicking his shoulder.

'That's supposed to be teh dull edge! Maybe he's using a double-edged katana?' The chief got his first good look at the blade while dodging.

'That's-!' He looked at the face of the man.

The man grinned.

"You were onto me. I knew that you would figure it out." The man tripped the chief and hit the chief's wrist with the front edge of the katana, forcing him to drop the blade that he held.

"Goodbye."

Sorry for taking so long! First year of finals- didn't expect it to be so difficult! 


	10. Chapter 10

Kenshin ran. he was feet away when he saw the chief knocked to the ground and his blade dropped. As if in slow motion, he saw the attacker's blade descend toward's the chief's chest. Doing the only thing he could think of, Kenshin threw the rice bag and it landed on the chief, knocking the wind out of him. It did, however, stop the blade from touching the chief. Kenshin managed to somehow get between the chief and the attacker.

"Battousai." the man said, smiling, then raised his blade to attack. It also gave Kenshin a glimpse of the blade.

'My sakabato!' he thought, catching the thrust.

"Where did you get that?" Kenshin asked, shakily, holding the blade, Behind him, he heard the chief scramble to get up. He felt some of his lifeblood drip down his arm.

"Why, was this yours?" the man laughed. "Heh-heh-heh. Mine now, Battousai." With a mighty wrench, the man pulled teh sakabato away from Kenshin, scraping Kenshin's hands that much more.

"Himura-san!" the chief yelled. He had ducked and grabbed his katana. The chief extended the hilt to Kenshin.

"Use this. You are unarmed. Unarmed, you don't stand a chance against him." Kenshin felt frozen. Numbly, he saw his hand reach out to grasp the hilt, something inside him wild with glee at the feel of a true katana in his hand. He faced the man with green eyes, an amber hue entering Kenshin's eyes.

"Turn yourself in." Kenshin said, voice a little deeper with bloodlust. The man laughed again.

"So now Battousai is out of his rurouni shell, huh?" The green-eyed man brought his sword down to Kenshin's head. Kenshin blocked easily. The man whirled and brought his sword around, aiming for Kenshin's ribs. Kenshin blocked that too, even though both attacks had sent shocks up his arms.

'He's strong- most likely his skull is as tough as Sano's. Kenshin- body reacting automatically- aimed for the man's chest, swinging his sword around.

A small gash appeared in his opponent's chest, bleeding lightly. The man just laughed, but now his laughter wasn't as free-spirited. It was forced.

Not long after, the man had landed a cut on Kenshin's shoulder. A deep cut. It bled heavily, coating his arm and making the chief's katana slippery.

'I can finish this quicker and with less injury if I simply kill- but I will not. Never again.' he swore to himself, though half of him cried out for this man's blood. He actually longed to see the ground painted red, the crimson liquid slowly pooling and drying...

'I won't!' he thought. He was so busy convincing himself not to kill this man that he didn't notice the blade aimed at his neck until it was almost too late.

Fortunately, the man missed all the major arteries, but it would be a problem if he didn't get it looked at soon.

"Uggh..." he said, his eyes now flashing amber. He glared at the man before him.

"You'll regret that." he said steadily, letting the blood drip down his chest. He knew that the intial flow had already subsided, but he knew that he must make a ghastly sight. He was dripping blood from his arm, neck, and many other, minor injuries. The fight resumed in a frenzy, and Kenshin finally managed to get the man on the ground, disarmed. He raised his sword, as if to sweep down, but then a vision of Kaoru's face came back- that fight with Jin-e, when she had screamed at him to uphold his vow.

"Give in." Kenshin said, though his hands itched to just swing down and kill again. The man smiled and pucnched Kenshin's gut. While Kenshin doubled over, the man managed to flee, but he left his sword there.

'Perhaps he has given up?' Kenshin thought, collapsing. The punch had been well-timed and well-aimed. Coupling that with his injuries, he was knocked unconscious.

"Damn Battousai." the man with green eyes said, shaking out his bleached hair. He was back at his home- a little, run-down shack hidden in the woods not far from Tokyo. He put a hand to the gash in his side, bandaging it quickly.

'An ex-hitokiri tries to have a little fun, and he has to stop me.' he groused, looking for some bandages. Unfortunately, he found none.

"Damnit. Now I have to go to the clinic." he complained, tearing up some rags that would serve as temporary bandages until he got the real thing.

'At least I, Koiyakata Chishio, am not an a man easily discouraged.' he thought, smiling. He'd become rather fond of that sword that Battousai had managed to make him part with- perhaps he could find that while he was searching.

'The clinic doubles as the cornor's office. Perhaps they took the blade to match it with the wounds...' he thought, whistling to himself as he walked towards the clinic. No one knew him yet- he had just moved in a few days ago.

Of course, people did wonder when a beloved old couple suddenly stopped showing up in Tokyo. Perhaps they had left- they used to come every day...

(A/N: This means that, yes, Chishio killed two old people for the home he now lives in.)

Megumi was at the desk, giving soem medicine to a man that had broken his leg. It was a relatively quiet day at the clinic. Not many people were hurt, so Megumi could take a quick break. She was just about to leave as an emergency patient entered.

Oh, yes, she could still have left. It was just that the patient was one of her friends.

"Ken-san!" she asked, shocked, as she watched the police chief help him in.

"I was attacked by a man we suspect is the murderer, and Himura-san managed to stop him. I let him borrow my katana, but he is still badly hurt." the chief explained. Megumi directed him to a nearby futon.

"Put Ken-san down right here. I can take care of him." she said. The chief nodded, did as she asked, bowed, and left.

"Ken-san... you really managed to get yourself hurt, didn't you?" As she stitched up to wounds, she noticed that the wounds matched the blade used to kill those poor people yesterday.

"They have found him..." she said, thinking to herself. She finished the stiching and cleaning of the wounds. She let Kenshin rest, and then the door opened. She stood and walked over there.

"Hello, may I help you?" she asked politely. The man just smiled a shiney smile at her, his green eyes twinkling with glee.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I luv ya!  
P.S. How many people saw the sakabato thing coming:looks around for any raised hands: 


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for taking so long! Anyways, enjoy this chappie and thanks for reviewing! More fluff in chappies to come, and more angst! (And more blood... but then again, you knew that.)

The chief ran. Now that Himura-san was safely at the clinic, he could retrieve the sword that the green-eyed man had used. Being as careful as possible, he grabbed to sword guard as not to mess up any fingerprints on the hilt of the sword. First, he examined the blade of the sword, checking for anything out of the ordinary. His eyes widened.

'I thought so... but I wasn't sure...' The Chief held Kenshin's sword in his hands- the one that Kenshin had lost.

'What is going on here?'

Kenshin groaned quietly. He was more used to sword wounds, so the gut punch had caught him off-guard. He rubbed his stomach, the ache fading quickly. He laid back down, deciding not to move- his wounds would heal quicker. As he settled back down, he heard voices.

"Hello, may I help you?" A voice that was unmistakeably Megumi's drifted to him. The person or persons she was speaking with was/were quiet for a gfew seconds, then he heard another voice.

"I'm looking for bandages." The voice- male- was almost familiar. Kenshin thought, but for the life of him he couldn't place the voice. (How true the phrase seems...)

"I have a few in the back. Please sit down and I'll be right back." Megumi said kindly. Kenshin heard her hurrying footsteps, seeing her dart past him to the back storeroom. He heard a crash, the sound of cloth being dropped, then a triumphant gasp. He saw Megumi rush past him again, and saw something white drop quietly out of her hand. She hurried on, unaware.

"Is this all?" the man up front asked. Megumi must have nodded.

"Damn. I was hoping for at least another roll..."

"That's all we can spare. In case of emergencies, we have to have a box of banadges ready. We're dangerously low as it is." Kenshin sighed, closing his eyes. It was partly his fault for the shortage of bandages. His wounds- along with his opponents wounds- would reduce the box the clinic had now to three-fourths.

He opened his eyes.

'You don't suppose...' he thought, sitting up, a small feat. He vaguely felt like he knew this man, and his hunches were usually right. He managed to get to the roll of bandages that Megumi-dono had dropped and picked them up, getting over to the waiting area of teh clinic without much further difficulty.

"Megumi-dono!" he called, half-walking, half-limping over. He was getting stronger with every step- good. He entered the waiting area with the roll in his hand.

"Megumi-dono, you dropped this." Megumi looked at him, annoyance crossing her face. Exasperation and acceptance as well.

"Ken-san! What are you doing! You'll need at least another day of bed rest! What are you doing up?" she demanded, taking the roll from him and giving it to the man who sat behind her. Kenshin briefly glanced at him, but the glance told him all he needed to know.

Green eyes. Not enough to confirm the suspiscion. However, the hunch was a certainty as soon as the man reached for the last bandage. He seemed to stop, as if in pain, and Kenshin could smell blood.

'Sword wound to the chest.' Kenshin thought, seeing a small red area grow on the man's shirt. Megumi noticed it too.

"You're hurt! Come in."

"That's okay." The man said, a mite too sharply. He gave a quick smile to throw off suspiscion. "I have no money-"

"That's okay." Megumi said firmly. "This clinic doesn't charge."

Chishio smiled thinly. This was getting to be interesting. The town's lady doctor turns out to be friends with the Battousai. He knew that Battousai knew who he was- it was in his eyes.

'I could take both of them as they are now, but I could risk screams. I'd have to get both right away and a few people saw me come in. Can't have the police on my tail just yet- I have no weapon, besides.'

"In that case, I'd be happy to accept your offer of help." he said, standing up. He unintentionaly stumbled forward a bit, but the doctor caught him.

"Here, I'll show you to a bed." The doctor lady lead him to a small cot and instructed him to sit up and remove his short. He did so, seeing her quickly analyze his sword cut- what she could see around the bandages- and saw her distatste for the dirty rags he was using to slow the bleeding. She sighed and grabbed a nearby bucket of clean water, a rag, and got to work, removing the old bandage and cleaning out the cut.

"This is a sword cut. What happened?" she aqsked.

"I was in a fight." he answered, then shut up about it. She accepted his silnce, continuing with her cleaning and bandaging of his chest. It took a few moments, but she was soon finished.

"Who was that other man? Your husband?" Chishio asked, playing dumb. Megumi just laughed.

"Ohohohohoho! Ken-san? No, he's not my husband." she said, her mind flashing to a certain someone...

Sanosuke sneezed, the force of it blowing his cards out of his hand. He sat up, rubbing his nose.

"Damn. Soemone's thinking or talking about me." he said, then looked at his hand. His mouth dropped open.

"No!" he said, looking wildly at the floor where his cards were scattered. His friends laugh.

"Sano folds..." one said, smiling good-naturedly. Sano just smirked.

"Well, I may have been foiled this round, but next round-" Sano exclaimed, reaching down to grab a fistful of money with which he could bet.

His hand grabbed air.

"Wha-? Ga-oh..." he said, then sighed. "Looks like I'm outta cash..." Everyone backed away.

"Sorry Sano." they all said, in almost perfect unison. "I'm not lending anything." Sano looked from one face to another, head sinking in defeat.

"Ah... well, can't blame a guy for trying!" He stood and walked away, hands in his pockets.

"See you next week, Sano!" they called as he shut the shoji screen behind him. He stalked off down the path, searching for a thug to fight- to take his mind off his lacking luck and gambling skills. It didn't take long, and soon there was one knocked out thug and Sano with a bloody nose.

"Time to visit the fox lady." he smiled devilishly, racing towards the clinic. A bloody nose was not a big deal by anyone's standards, and especially not Sano's, but if Megumi saw no fresh blood, he got no treatment, and therfore no excuse to spend time wi- he means, annoy the fox.

Had to add in that bit of SanoMeg hinting... couldn't resist! Sorry- I'll get the next chap. out soon- maybe over the weekend? Anyways.  
See you later! Please tell me how I'm doing! 


	12. Chapter 12

Kaoru grumbled. Kenshin wasn't back yet with the rice, and she was getting really worried. He should have been back last night.

'He wouldn't have gone off wandering again, would he?' she thought. That thought hurt more than any physical wound could. She was getting even more worried now, and if Kenshin wasn't back soon...

"Oi, busu!" Yahiko called. "Kenshin will be back by lunch, right? I can't fast forever!" As if to prove Yahiko's point, his stomach growled. A vein pulsed in Kaoru's head.

"I offered you food, but you refused to eat! It's not MY fault if you die of starvation because you refuse to eat!"

"It is if you know you can't cook and I refuse the food so I don't die of food poisoning!"

"Why you-!" Kaoru grabbed a handy bokken and whapped Yahiko over the head with it.

A knock on the dojo door interrupted them. Kaoru and Yahiko stopped fighting as Kaoru ran to the door and opened it.

"Hello? Oh, it's the police chief." Kaoru said, then her welcoming smile turned to worry. "Wait- why are you here? Did something happen to Kenshin? Is he okay? Where is he?" She then just noticed that the chief held something behind his back.

"What do you have there?" she asked, curious, but still worried.

"Kamiya-dono, Himura-san is all right." The chief took a very familiar sword out from behind his back. "I believe that he lost this. I merely wanted to return it. This was the murderer's weapon, so hopefully he will stop killing without this sword."

"The sakabato!" Kaoru gasped. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"I thought that you would want to give it to him personally, so he could have it with him at the clinic." Chief Uramura bowed. "I have police business to attend to. Tell Himura-san to get well." He turned and left.

"The clinic? Kenshin's at the clinic?" Kaoru stood stock still. If Kenshin was at the clinic, and if he had been there since last night he was either too hurt to move, or...

"Yahiko, stay here and clean the dojo!" she called over her shoulder, running out the doors.

"Aw, do I have to, busu?"

"And after that, do 500 practice swings!" she called, then ran out of earshot.

'Kenshin, please be okay.'

Sano strutted into the clinic, nose still bleeding, but the flow of blood had subsided slightly.

"Hey, fox-lady! I need you to patch up my bloody nos-" He stopped short. Megumi was sitting on a bed next to some blond guy, obviously patching up a sword wound.

"-nose." he finished, folding his arms. He didn't like the guy, and not just because there was a bad vibe about him.

"Sano?" A voice asked from a corner of the room. Sano turned his head.

"Oi, Kenshin!" Sanosuke said, then noticed his friends bandages. "What happened?"

"I was in a fight with ... with the murderer." Kenshin said, catching himself from revealing who the murderer was. Sure, the man might not be doing anything now, but Kenshin had no doubt that if Sano and Megumi were to learn the identity of the man being treated, he would kill them all, weapon or no weapon.

'I don't know what game he's playing, but...'

"Did you get a good look at him?" Sano asked, cracking his knuckles. "If we figure out what he looks like, we can-"

"KENSHIN!" a voice called from the clinic doorway. Kaoru stomped in, sakabato in hand.

"Yes, Kaoru?" he asked innocently. "Dono." he amended hastily. Hopefully no one had noticed that his pause between 'Kaoru' and 'dono'.

Unfortunately, Ken-san isn't quite that lucky.

"Kenshin? Why did you add the -dono again? You weren't using it yesterda-" Kaoru started, but he stopped her with a look.

'Don't say it.' he mentally begged her. 'Don't!' (Not adding the an ending can mean that they are very close to one another. In men/men relationships, like with Sano and Kenshin, this means that they are great friends. Same with Kaoru and Megumi's friendship. However, not adding the -dono means that they are very familiar with each other when dealing with male/female relations.)

Too late. The damage had been done.

Chishio smiled warmly at the woman that had just walked in.

"I assume that you are Himura Kenshin-san's friend?" he said. He had been able to tell that Battousai hadn't wanted them to meet.

She was his weakness.

'That's what that stupid group of hitokiri were after- her. Get her, the Battousai won't do anything to harm her. You can see it in the fool's eyes.' Chishio smiled.

'She made a big mistake, coming here. She just doesn't know it yet. Like a prisoner signing what he believes to be his release papers, she, too, has signed her own death warrent without realizing it.'

Sorry this was so short- I'll get the next one out ASAP, but lately I've been concentrating on Valentine oriented fics so that'y why this isn't so long. 


	13. Chapter 13

"Iya. I am merely a freeloader that stays at Kaoru- dono's residence." Kenshin said, stressing the 'dono'.

The man merely smiled. He stood up and walke dover to Kaoru, stopping a few feet from her. He bowed low.

"It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you. I am known as Koiyakata Chishio." He stood back up, and turned to Megumi.

"Takani-dono, is it? Thank you very much for helping me with the bandages. Am I allowed to leave?" Megumi nodded.

"Careful of your wounds though. Reach for nothing higher than your head, or you risk it splitting open again." Chishio nodded, and turned to Kenshin.

"It was great meeting you. Thank you for giving me the last roll, that Takani-dono dropped." Chishio smiled, but his words held an underlined threat. Even if no one else knew why Kenshin was tense, they knew he was.

"It was... nice to meet you too. Perhaps we will meet again." Kenshin said, bowing stiffly. Chishio just nodded and walked out.

Kenshin stared at the back of the man- the murderer.

'He knows.' he thought. 'He knows that Kaoru is important to me. He also knows that I know who he is.'

"Oi, Kenshin, what's with all the tension?" Sanosuke asked, irritably. He scratched his head.

"Did you need something, Sano?" Megumi asked, looking at him. Sano opened his mouth, then shut it quickly and put a hand up to his nose, to check if it was still bleeding.

Nope. It had already stopped. No quality time getting beat- whoops, treated!- by the fox.

"No, I'm fine." Sano said, putting his hands behind his head and walking off.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked. "What's wrong?" Kenshin glanced at her.

"Nothing is wrong, Kaoru." he said, then glanced down, just now noticing the sword she had in her hand.

"That's-!" He looked quickly back up to her face. She smiled.

"Uh-huh. This is yours. The chief found it at- and wanted to return it." she amended hasitly. Hopefully no one had noticed her near slip. She galnced at Megumi. The fox-doctor watched them, so Kaoru just smiled adn patted Kenshin's hand.

"I just thought that you'd want it." she said, then turned to leave.

"Thank you, Kaoru. For visiting. And the sakabato." he added. Kaoru blushed, and prayed that Kenshin didn't notice.

"I have to go- I have to make sure that the brat is doing his swings and cleaning up!" she said, then ran back home.

"Ken-san?" Megumi asked, watching Kaoru leave. "Who was that man?"

"Chishio?" Kenshin asked. "I don't know." He was a bad liar. A very bad liar.

"Truthfully now." Megumi said.

"I don't know, Megumi- dono." he said, a bit cooly, and made as if to leave.

"I must go." he said, not facing Megumi. She grabbed the back of his gi.

"I can't let you do that. Your wounds are not healed, and if you do anything as foolish as go back to the dojo, then they'll rip open." Kenshin shook off her hand.

"I am going." he said, firmly. Megumi grabbed him again.

"And I say you're not! If you do any work for the next few days-" Kenshin whirled around, breaking her grip and looking her straight in the eye.

"Do you want Kaoru to die?" he asked her quietly. "If I don't get there before he does, she is as good as dead. I won't let that happen." He almost glared at Megumi before whirling and leaving in a stir of wind. Megumi stood, as though frozen.

"Kaoru? Why would she-" It dawned. Ken-san's strange attitude with the man earlier today, the way he had used '-dono'...

"No..." she whispered, putting two and two together.

"Chishio... he's the mur-" Something blunt hit the back of her head and she dropped, unconscious, to the floor.

"Ah, Battousai, you've made too many friends." Chishio smiled, grabbing the knocked out doctor's body and taking her to his 'house'. His stolen house.

'With her, and the Battousai's lady, he will be powerless. Those incomptent fools went after one, and one only. He may be able to save one, but both of his freinds at the same time? Not even Battousai has that kind of speed.'

Kenshin ran. He had to get to Kaoru before Chishio did- there was no doubt in his mind that Chishio would try some sort of kidnap or attempt to harm his Kaoru.

'Damn him...' His eyes grew gold with even the thought.

"Kaoru!" he called out, bursting into the dojo. He heard the sound of footsteps, running towards him.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice asked curiously. "What's wrong?" He stopped, out of breath and bandages breaking open. He dropped to one knee, gasping.

"Kenshin!" Karou said, concerned. She dropped down beside him.

"Kaoru... I have... to protect..." He stopped.

"It's okay. We have time- you don't have to talk so fast." Kaoru said. "Water could help. Stay here." she told him, getting up and dusting off her hakama. Kenshin looked at her.

"Stay here... I can get the water." he told her, his breath coming easier. He tried to get up but was shoved back down.

"I will. Stay here and catch your breath. Did you run all the way from the clinic?" she clucked her tongue and walked towards the well. As soon as his wounds had stopped stinging, Kenshin followed suit.

'Chishio isn't the kind to wait. He'll already be on the move.' Kenshin thought. He heard a water bucket drop.

Kenshin suddenly had a really, really, bad feeling about this. He ran over the facts in a millisecond.

He hadn't heard Yahiko at all.

Kaoru had gone to get him water.

The bucket had dropped.

"Kaoru!" he shouted. He ran the rest of the way to the well. Once there, he found the scene he had hoped least to find.

Chishio held Kaoru across the waist, a knife at her throat, and her arms pinned to her sides. She struggled, but she was no match for Chishio, not in matters of strength. He showed no difficulty in holding her.

"Ah, Battousai, how kind of you to join us."

Hopefully this one was better- it's a bit longer than the last chapter!  
Was it worth waiting for or no? I'll see you guys again next week! 


	14. Chapter 14

Love to you all- enjoy this new chapter! Forgive any mistakes and glaring plotholes- no beta.

Kenshin stared. Kaoru was being held by Chishio, a knife at her throat, and Yahiko was no where to be seen- surely the action would have brought him running by now...

"Release her." Kenshin said, struggling to keep the growl from his voice- he certainly felt like growling!

"No. Besides, I don't have just her. If I were to release her to you, it would be as a corpse. Chishio looked at Kaoru.

"There is a lock of someone's hair in the pocket of my sleeve. Reach in there and take it out." Kaoru swallowed, and didn't move. Chishio pressed the knife a little harder into her throat. A small line of blood appeared, trickling into her haori. She whimpered, and slowly reached into teh man's sleeve.

'Damnit.' Kenshin thought. 'He's smart. He's using Kaoru to get the lock of hair, not reaching for it himself. He's not letting his guard slip at all.'

Kaoru had retrieved the hair. As soon as he saw it, Kenshin recognized it, and a sick feeling grew in his stomach.

"Where did you get that hair, Chishio?" he asked, watching as Chishio casually threw the hair at Kenshin's feet.

"My other hostage." he said. Kenshin glared at the man.

'That's Megumi-dono's hair. Yet, he did not need to cut so much.' Judging by what was in front of him, Chishio had given one of his friend's such a short haircut that she could be mistaken for a man. (Think of a bowl cut...)

"You didn't need to cut so much, Chishio."

"Ah, but I did. As long as her hair remains short, everyone will remember the murderer who managed to kill the Battousai and the Battousai's woman. Moreover, that doctor will always remember. As long as- Megumi- dono, correct?- is rememeberd as having short hair, your deaths will remain subjects open to discussion in the town."

"Kaoru is not my woman. Let her go." Kenshin growled, but he couldn't help the slight sadness that enetered his voice. Kaoru wouldn't have picked up on it, but Chishio would most likely hear it. "You intend to become famous over my death?"

"Of course. It matters not if I am eventually caught, but I intend to take as many people down with me as I can."

"Kenshin..." Kaoru whispered. Kenshin looked at her. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, but also... trust. She trusted him to beat Chishio and get her back safely.

"Shut up." Chishio said, renewing his hold on her. She gasped, unused to this much strain on her diaphram, but breathed normally, if a bit loudly. Of course, the louder breaths meant that her throat expanded more, and thus the knife pricked a little farther, and increased the blood flow a little more...

"Release her, and release Megumi-dono." Kenshin said.

"No. We will fight, and you will die. Then, I will have my fun with the women, and hunt down your last friend, that man with the sign for evil on his back. You will all die, and then Tokyo will suffer even more deaths trying to kill me. By the time I die, Japan will remember Koiyataka Chishio."

"Let her go. I will fight you once you let her go and she is safely away."

"I'm no idiot. I won't let her go. She is the master of a dojo, and knows kenjutsu. She is obviously no match for either you or I, but it is just an idiot who wants to prove himself by taking on the master of a dojo, and the Hitokiri Battousai. And not just her, but if she manages to awaken that child in the dojo or find your friend, then I would be outmatched." Chishio stood up straighter. "No. She stays here."

"You cannot fight with no hands free. Let her go." Chishio almost lost his smirk. Battousai was right. He couldn't fight with his hands tied, but he couldn't let go of the girl. A paradox.

"You do have a point Battousai. I release her. Don't try to attack as I let her go, or I will kill her." True to his word, he let her go. She stumbled a bit, but then hurried away. She didn't get too far.

Chishio's hand sprang out, clocking her on the side of her head. She fell, unconscious, to the ground. All this had taken about a second. Kenshin stood, almost frozen, where he was.

"You said that you would let her go." he growled, bangs covering his eyes. Chishio smirked again, grabbing Kaoru's unconscious form and moving her so that she was right next to him. He could draw his sword and kill her in a second.

"And I did. She just didn't get very far." Kenshin looked up, his eyes pure amber.

"You're-" Kenshin said slowly. "-dead."

POV Switch!

Megumi woke up. She tried to sit up, and managed to succeed, but her head hurt. It was too light, and she felt dizzy.

'He knocked me out.' she thought. She could remember being hit, and then the man must have brought her here.

'Chishio.' she thought. It must have been him. He was the only one with any reason to- people just did not go around kidnapping doctors.

"Ow..." she said, trying to stand up and failing. She looked at her feet. They were bound, and tied with a knot she didn't recognize, and would take serveral hours to get out- and that was assuming she did everything correctly. If she pulled the wrong string, it would just knot up worse. She had to leave it alone.

She sighed. She couldn't go anywhere. She just stayed sitting and glanced around. It was a normal house, but something was strange. She didn't realize what it was until her gaze landed on a mirror.

She blinked, then rubbed her eyes. She crawled forward, closer to the mirror, until she could touch her reflection.

She rubbed her eyes again, aware that they were red.

"No... way." she managed, staring at herself. Her hair had almost been completely cut off! She resembled a man now, with her hair as short as it was. Her hair had always been one of the prettiest thinsg about her- without it, she wasn't exactly ugly, but she wasn't strikingly attractive.

"No..." she whispered again, feeling a tear slide down her face. A woman's hair was her crown! Worst of all, er haircut wasn't even straight! Now how could hope to attract San- a man, any man, with her hair like it was? It would take years to grow back to its former glory, and by then she would be past marriagable age. She was just under the maximum age, the maximum socially acceptable age. Usually, girls got married when they were twenty, and here she was, a twenty two year old woman, with no husband or marriage prospects to speak of.

'Stop it.' she told herself, calming down. 'I can worry about my hair later. It may be awful, but I have to get away first.'

POV Switch!

Sanosuke was humming to himself. He had managed to get another yakuza thug to fight him, and he had another bloody nose. It was a gusher too. Megumi would have to see him now.

"Yo, fox-lady! I have a bloody nose-" he stopped short. The clinic was too quiet.

"Fox-lady?" he called. He walked farther in. No one. The clinic door had been unlocked, so she hadn't gone for a walk, and it was too early to close- besides, the door would be locked in that case too.

'Where the hell is Megumi?' he thought, running out the door and slamming it shut behind him.

A/N: Dun dun dun dun dunnnnn:Rinse, Repeat: How was it, folks? See you next week! Stay tuned! 


	15. Chapter 15

Sano ran to the dojo. Maybe Megumi had just left to go to the dojo and had forgotten to lock up?

'Fat chance...' he thought, bursting into the dojo.

"Oi, Kenshin!" he called. No sound.

"Kenshin!" he called again. He started to walk around the dojo, but something caught his attention.

The sound of metal on metal. Sword against sword. Battle.

Kenshin was totally focused on his opponent. He had knocked Kaoru unconscious, and had taken Megumi-dono somewhere.

"I'm dead, am I Battousai?" Kenshin stared at the man. "Not a surprise, as you've already started killing again..."

Kenshin inwardly flinched.

'How did he know?' It clicked. 'The owner of the sakabato in that mansion would be the killer. I admitted to owning it. Two and two make four.'

"Yes, I know. You killed because of her." Chishio motioned carelessly to the unconscious Kaoru. "And now she has to hide her disgust for you, for breaking your vow..." Chishio gave a pause, but his tone made it obvious that he hadn't finished his sentence yet.

"...murderer." Kenshin flinched inside again.

"Kenshin!" A voice drifted to Kenshin's ears.

'Sano...' he thought, just as the man appeared.

"Oi, Ken... what the fuck!" Sano exclaimed. It was a strange scene that greeted him, after all. Kenshin was facing off with the man from the clinic- Chishio- and Chishio had jou-chan (unconscious) next to him. It was obvious that Chishio had knocked missy out.

"Sano, go." Kenshin commanded, an uncharacteristically desperate look in his eyes. Sano just cracked his knuckles.

"No. He knocked jou-chan out, right? I'll get that scumbag back."

'No- if Sano stays, Chishio will keep on talking about-!' Kenshin thought, looking at Chishio, who seemed to find the whole thing greatly amusing.

"What are you laughing at, bastard!" Sano demanded. "What the hell are you doing here?" Chishio smirked.

"Fight merchant Zanza, helping his friend, the great Hitokiri Battousai. Interesting that you'd come to the aid of a murderer, as you always said, Zanza, that you hate those who prey on the weak." Sanosuke glared at Chishio.

"I know about Kenshin's past! You think that matters, bastard!" Sano cracked his knuckles again, getting ready to run in and fight, barehanded against a sword. He lunged, almost hitting Chishio, who stayed in place just long enough to tell Sano one last thing.

"I wasn't talking about his past."

Scene Change!

Megumi- tears dried- looked all around the small house, searching for something that could help her. She had tried the door- it was locked- and there weren't any windows she could fit through.

Even if she could get out, would she really risk walking through town to get to the dojo or the clinic? She was on the other side of town from all that.

'I would. I have to get to Ken-san.' It was obvious that she had been kidnapped because of Ken-san. There had been tension between Ken-san and Chishio, and Chishio had kidnapped her. It was the only logical conclusion.

In the kitchen area, Megumi found an old, rusted, and dusty knife buried underneath old papers and things.

'Chishio must have forgotten about it.' she thought, sawing through her bonds quickly.(well, as quickly as one could with a rusty knife...)

'Now, how do I get out?' she thought.

Scene Change!

Sanosuke stopped moving, dimly aware of the fact that Kenshin hadn't moved since he had arrived.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Sano didn't know how, but he had a feeling that Chishio wasn't lying.

"He hasn't told you? Not a surprise- he'd keep things like that away from those he calls 'friends'." Chishio laughed. 'Do you want to know exactly what I-"

"Stop it." Kenshin commanded, staring straight at Chishio. Chishio just kept talking.

"-mean? Your 'friend', who has supposedly vowed never to kill again-"

"Stop!" Kenshin said, almost desperate. Sano just froze, hands at his side, a shocked look on his face. He had a sinking feeling he knew how that sentence would end...

"-killed." Chishio finished, a deliberate smirk on his face.

Even though he had expected it, it was one thing to expect it, and a completely new thing to actually hear it. Sano slowly rotated his gaze over to Kenshin, mouth agape, a shocked look on his face.

Kenshin seemed frozen as well, a look of horror on his face. Horror at himself, for killing, and horror of what would happen now. Sano was his best friend- how could Kenshin fight him, especially when Kenshin himself wanted to recieve some sort of punishment for it?

"Ken... shin..." Kaoru called softly, stirring.

Kaoru opened her eyes. 'Ow...'

"Kaoru!" Kenshin called. he moved forward unthinkingly, ready to help her, but then paused. In the second he paused, Chishio moved his sword to Kaorus neck. She froze, looking at the sword.

"Move and she dies." Chishio said. Kenshin froze.

"You can't fight with one hand. Let her go." Kenshin said, worry about Kaoru overtaking his worry of what Sanosuke thought of him.

"How- as a corpse, or merely unconscious?" Chishio asked, smirking.

"Conscious." Sano said, glaring at Chishio. "Hand jou-chan over to us, now." he ordered, slamming a fist into one of his palms.

"Are you sure that's wise? this woman- like a sister to you- and you want me to hand her over to a murderer?"

"Kenshin wouldn't hurt me." Kaoru said, at the same time Sano spoke.

"Kenshin wouldn't hurt jou-chan." Chishio glanced at Sano sideways, out of the corner of his eye.

"If you truly believe that, then maybe I should release her. After all, I still have one hostage..." Chishio seemed to consider, but then (obviously) shook his head.

"We're at a stalemate then. If you won't release Kaoru, then you can't fight. I will not allow you to kill her. You cannot win here."

Chishio frowned at that.

'That asshole's right. I can't fight with her, and he'll stop me if I make it obvious what I'll do...' Chishio sighed, closing his eyes.

"That leaves me one way out." He withdrew his sword from Kaoru's face, and picked her up roughly, shoving her towards her friends. However, as she stumbled forward, he slashed her back. She gasped, then fell forward.

"Now for the doctor!" Chishio cried out, running away while Kenshin dove to catch Kaoru before she hit the ground. Sano ran forward to catch Kaoru too, but Kenshin got there first.

"Kaoru..." he said. Sano dropped to one knee beside them.

"Damn... jou-chan needs a medic..." he said, looking at the blood seeping from her back.

"Damnit... I won't be able to catch up..." Kenshin looked at Chishio's retreating back. "I can't think of what he'll do to Megumi-dono..."

'I can't abandon either Kaoru or Megumi-dono...'

"Go." Sano's voice startled him. Kenshin looked at his friend, who was motioning for Kenshin to give Kaoru to him.

"I can take jou-chan to a medic. Just hurry and catch that bastard... I'm no match for his speed." Sano looked directly at Kenshin, trust showing in his eyes, and... was that worry beneath the surface?

"Arigatou gozimatsu, Sano." Kenshin said. "Please take good care of Kaoru."

"You go save kitsune!" Sano said, taking Kaoru from Kenshin and lifting her up easily. Kenshin nodded and followed Chishio. 


	16. Chapter 16

Kaoru opened her eyes. She was lying down on her futon- she could feel it. She groaned and tried to sit up.

"Jou-chan, you're up." She looked around.

"Sanosuke! Where's Kenshin? How long was I out?" Sano held up his hands.

"First things first, jou-chan." he said, settling down into a sitting position with one knee up, resting his wrist on his knee.

"First things first?" she asked, curious. Sano looked her dead in the eye.

"That Chishio guy, he said that Kenshin was a murderer, and that he wasn't talking about the past." Kaoru froze.

'Sano... knows!' She looked down, looking for an excuse. It came to her, almost like a bolt of lightning.

"SANOSUKE! How did you bandage the wound on my back!" She glared at him then, hoping to distract him, at the same time thinking: 'Pervert...'

"Jou-chan, I bandanged you while you were on your front, around your gi and tight as I could." sano said, still looking at her. "What did Chishio mean?" Kaoru wasn't ready to let it go.

"How do I know-?" she demanded. "For all I know, you could have taken off the gi top and then put it back on when you bandaged me!"

"You don't really think that low of me, do you jou-chan?" Sano said. Kaoru sighed. No, he wasn't that kind of man.

"Kenshin should be the one to tell you-"

"No, I want to hear it from you. I don't want to be kept in teh dark. Kenshin's my best friend." Kaoru took a deep sigh, looking at the floor.

"You remember the 'Incident'..."

Scene Change

Kenshin ran. Chishio was just in sight, and Kenshin wanted it that way. He was out of Chishio's 'aura-range' (aura-range is the range that a swordsman can feel someone's aura from.)

Chishio turned right. Staying carefully out of Chishio's range, so did Kenshin. Out of the corner of his eye, Kenshin saw Chishio duck into a nearby building. Kenshin sped up, certain that this was where Chishio held Megumi-dono.

He was not disappointed.

Chishio burst into his house. The first thing he noticed was that his hostage was up- not bound, like he had expected. She was staring at him. He took three steps towards her and grabbed her by the neck.

"Wha-" she said, struggling to breathe. He growled at her.

"That damn man is too clever by half."

"Ken-san?" she asked, choking. She glanced behind him. "Ken-san!" It was more like a whisper, but they both heard it.

"Release her, Chishio." Kenshin commanded, drawing his sword. "I will say this again- you cannot fight with a hostage. Your hands won't be free, and I would be able to strike before you can do harm. You cannot release her- she would run and get help. Surrender now"  
Chishio smirked.

"I doubt that she'd run far, Battousai." He indicated her hair. "A woman with no hair will not go far. It's the same as taking a person's clothes to prevent him from going far, but I thought I'd be nice and only slice off her hair." To prove his point, he released Megumi and drew his sword in one smooth motion.

"Besides, this time I'm up against Battousai and a doctor, not a kenjutsu instructor. What have I to fear?"

"Many things..." Kenshin said, eyes still violet, but glittering with a slight amber hue.

"Ken-san...?" Megumi asked.

"Leave. Get Sanosuke. I'll knock him out and then the police will take care of the rest." Kenshin said, not looking at her.

"I.. I..."

"If you go around the long way, no one should see you." Megumi nodded. Chishio watched, amused.

"Are you absolutely sure that no one will see you? Of course, if you just pretend to be a boy, no one will think of your haircut. Of course, with your figure-" Chishio gave a lecherous wink at Megumi, who shivered in disgust. "-that won't be possible."

Kenshin glared at Chishio.

"You shouldn't be making such remarks about Megumi-dono." Kenshin rushed Chishio, striking at his ribs, Chishio gave a small 'umphf!' as he was hit, eyes wide in shock.

"Go, Megumi-dono!" Kenshin said. Megumi nodded and fled.

"I... I didn't expect a surprise attack." Chishio grinned. "I wonder why I wasted time with my hostages now. A coward like you can be taken down so easily..." Chishio picked up his sword from the ground.

"Now it is a true, fair battle." Kenshin said. Chishio nodded, then rushed Kenshin, chopping at Kenshin's neck.

"Not fast enough." Kenshin said, from behind Chishio. Chishio- overbalanced because of his unconnected attack- used his momentum to swing around and slice down diagonally, trying to cut Kenshin in half. Kenshin dodged slightly to the side. The sword hit the ground, but then something happened that Kenshin didn't expect. Chishio 'bounced' the sword back up, connecting with Kenshin's inner leg, cutting deep- had Kenshin not managed to dodge backwards, it would have taken his leg off.

"Maybe not, but certainly fast enough for you." Chishio smirked and aimed his sword at Kenshin again, chuckling a bit.

Kenshin stood up, favoring his hurt leg. A crimson stain was spreading on his hakama, staining the pure cloth red.

Kenshin assessed the damage.

'All that's hurt is my leg. I'm doing okay- but he is more skilled than I had thought. Using the sword's downswing to carry it back up with more force if the opponent should dodge...'

Megumi ran, feeling her lungs burn. So far, Kami had been merciful and she hadn't run into anyone.

'How will I face Sanosuke?' she thought, knowing that she wouldn't be winning any man's heart with her hair so unbecomingly snipped. Her steps slowed, but she quickened them again.

'Now is not the time to think of such petty things. Ken-san may be in trouble if I don't get the police or Sanosuke. That man may not look it, but he is very skilled.'

Megumi burst into the dojo, calling for Sano and Kaoru.

After about two minutes, Sanosuke came running.

"Sano, where's Kaoru? Ken-san's fighting Chishio right now- he told me to get you or the police..." her voice trailed off as she noticed Sanosuke staring at her hair. She reached a hand up to finger it, almost giving into the impulse to bite her lip.

"What the hell happenbed to your hair Fox?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

"This isn't the time. I- I can tell everyone later. Where is Kaoru? Chishio is in a small hut about a half-mile from here- where the Tsumeragis used to live..."She stopped, looking Sano in the eyes.

"Ken-san needs you help! Get moving, you stupid tori-atama!" Sano smiled.

"Kaoru is in her room. See you later, Fox." Sano said, running past her. At the gate, he paused. "Ask Kaoru about the Incident. She told me- I'm sure she'll tell you." He started running again.

He had to help his best freind, after all.

So, how was it? Good? Bad? God-awful? 


	17. Chapter 17

Sanosuke ran, replaying Kaoru's story in his mind.

'"Kenshin was trying to rescue me... my finger was almost sliced off- I wouldn't have been able to practice kenjutsu again if I didn't have my pinky finger- well, it would have been extremely difficult... and the man that had nearly sliced off my pinky had also slashed my back. It was a shallow cut, but it bled a lot. Kenshin was just so angry, Sano. He. he was going to decapitate the man, but I yelled for im to stop. He tried, he really did. It was too late. Instead of slicing off neatly, it went up into the windpipe, and that must have hurt. It took a few minutes... a few minutes... Kenshin tried to stop himself, but now he doesn't seem to trust himself anymore... I've told him it's not his fault, but he doesn't believe me."'

'Kenshin, you idiot! Making jou-chan worry like that. Not to mention me and the Fox.' Sano's eyes softened as he thought of the Fox. Her hair had been cut so short- it had really thrown him for a loop, but not as much as the vurnerable look in Megumi's eyes.

He hated that look.

All of her passion and anger had seemed to have left her, cut away like her hair had been. She had been worried for some reason, like she wouldn't be recognized or accepted. She had actually been scared, looking for all the world like she needed someone to comfort her and tell her that everything would be OK...

'Yeah, right. She's the untouchable Fox- like she'd let me near...' Sano shook his negative thoughts out. He had to help his best friend.

'Kenshin, why won't you believe jou-chan? You know you didn't mean to kill him...'

Kenshin panted heavily. Chishio was a maginificent swordsman- he had landed several minor blows, but Kenshin hadn't landed as many minor blows, but he had landed a solid slash at Chishio's back, which was even now- a minute after the strike had been delivered- gushing crimson blood. Chishio's floor and gi were soaked.

"Surrender now." Chishio smirked, though it was a bit of an effort, and Kenshin could read fear and shock in Chishio's green eyes.

"I don't think so. Hiten Mitsurugi is a great style for outdoors fighting, but the low ceiling in a building makes it difficult to perform your most powerful moves- and the room is too narrow for you to perform battoujutsu." Kenshin almost cursed out loud. Yes, the low ceilings prevented him from using any attack that required him to jump- such as Ryu Tsui Sen- and he couldn't use any battoujutsu techniques- like So Ryu Sen- and the floor was wooden, preventing him for using Do Ryu Sen. His attacks that involved running, or required the opponent to be far away- wouldn't work in a house. Basically, the quarters were too cramped to attempt much.

A loud knocking could be heard- someone was pounding on the door. Both sworsdsmen paused, unsure of what to do.

Just who the hell was pounding on Chishio's door?

"No answer? Hello? I'll just let myself in, then." A voice that Kenshin knew well said. In another two seconds, the door was but a fond memory, just dust on the wind, thanks to a certain tori-atama's punch.

"Oi, Kenshin, I thought I'd find you here." Sanosuke said, pleased. Chishio groaned with disgust, but Kenshin felt his ki. It became more intimidated, and more afraid. Chishio knew that he didn't stand a chance against Kenshin and Sanosuke.

'Damnit, I had expected to finish him off before that doctor lady managed to get any of his friends.' he fumed.

"Sano?" Kenshin asked, shocked to find him here. Suddenly, his eyes flew open. "Is Kaoru okay?"

"Aa, but the Fox-lady told me to come and help you." Sano suddenly locked eyes with Chishio. "So, you're the bastard that cut off Megumi's hair?" Kenshin froze.

It was the first time that he had heard Sanosuke use Megumi's real name. Chishio smiled cockily at Sano.

"Would you prefer it if- next time- I cut off her finger? Or a toe? Or her head?"

"And you think that there'll be a next time!" Sano growled, punching his fist into his palm to prove his point.

"You'll never get near her again, if I have anything to say about it." Sano charged straight at Chishio, ready to punch. Chishio brought up his sword and managed to block Sanosuke's fist- Chishio even drew blood from the knuckles.

"You don't have much." Kenshin stepped forward, prepared to help his freind, but Sano shot him a look.

"Stay out of this, Kenshin. I'll fight, this time." Sano turned back to his opponent. "You say I don't have much, but that was just my left fist." Sano crackled the knuckles in his right fist, then smirked.

"Can your sword really withstand a force that can shatter boulders?" Sano rushed in again, preparing his right fist this time. Chishio brought up his sword to block. Sano's fist hit the metal blade, and everyone present heard a loud cracking noise. Something gave- and it wasn't Sano's hand.

Chishio stared in horror at the hilt of a once beautiful blade- a blade that now littered the floor, so much metal dust and scraps.

"Not so confident now, eh?" Sano said, smirking. Chishio did the one thing any sane man would do: he kneeled before Sano and touched his head to the floor.

"I'm sorry! I'll turn myself in- I never meant any harm." Chishio played his part perfectly, every inch the remorseful and turly sincere man...

...Unfortunately for him, Sano isn't as dense as everyone thinks.

"And if I buy that, I'm stupider than a bag of rocks." Sano folded his arms. "I won't believe it until you're in jail, and locked up good." Chishio kept his gaze on the floor, folding his arms in a further gesture of submission.

"I truly am sorry! I'll even let you escort me to jail, I swear!" Chishio smirked, pulling out a long dagger, hidden in his kimono sleeve.

"I'm not that- ITAI!" Sano yelled, dropping to his now injured knees as a smirking Chishio rolled out of the way, holding the bloody dagger.

"Temene... you had a hidden dagger..." Sano said, grimicing. Chisho smirked.

"My my my, how the tables have turned..."

"Not for long, Chishio." Kenshin said, stepping in from the sidelines.

"Kenshin, stay out of this- I'll be fine. This is my fight." Sano said, getting up with some difficulty. Chishio smirked.

"Your fight? Well, it'll be Battousai's soon enough- as soon as I lay your corpse at his feet!" Chishio rushed in, swinging the dagger down. It cut shallowly into Sano's chest, ripping away the bandages he usually had around his abdomen. Sano grunted, but whirled and delievered a roundhouse punch to Chishio's face, breaking his nose. Chishio grunted and lept nimbly away, stumbling slightly as he landed.

"Damn... you..." Chishio said, trying to push his nose cartilege back into place, only serving to mess his face up more.

"Plenty more where that came from, bastard." Sano said, rushing in again. Chishio blocked, but the punch still hurt him- badly.

"Bastard.." Chishio said, reeling from Sano's punch. He lifted his head up just in time to see the hook puch connect solidly with his temple, very effectively knocking him out.

"Keh..." Sano said, panting heavily. "Easy.." He stumbled forward, but caught himself.

"Sano.." Kenshin said. Sano looked at him, then grinned.

"Let's get back to the dojo. I have to talk with you on the way back, anyways..."

Kenshin nodded, suddenly apprehensive.

'What does Sano want to talk about with me?' he wondered. Chishio suddenly gave a loud groan, and both men turned to look at him.

"Maybe we should drop him off at jail first..." Sano said. Kenshin nodded. Sano easily picked up the unconscious Chishio, though some more blood poured from his chest wound.

"Let's go- I need the fox-doctor to look at these." Kenshin nodded, knowing that Sano wouldn't go to the dojo or the clnic without first discussing what he wanted to.

'Besides, those were shallow wounds. He'll be fine.'

Megumi ran to Kaoru's room.

'The Incident? They've finally talked..?' Megumi thought, then she got to Kaoru's room. She opened the door.

Kaoru was laying on her futon, bandaged inexpertly. It was decent, but not up to Megumi's standard- it wouldn't last long, bandaged as it was. Megumi sighed and woke Kaoru up. The rebandaging would go quicker if she had cooperation.

"Hhmmmm... Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked, opening her eyes. Megumi saw Kaoru's eyes flick to her hair, then guiltily back to her face.

"I heard what happened." Kaoru said, almost as if apologizing. Megumi just nodded.

"What happened here? Sword wound to the back, correct?" Kaoru nodded, grimacing. Megumi smiled. "And Sano bandaged you- inexpertly. I'll have to rebandage that- unless you want it to fall off?" Kaoru shook her head no.

"Good. While I rebandage it, you can tell me what happened in the Incident." Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, but Megumi continued talking. "You've told that tori-atama- why not me?" Kaoru nodded.

Megumi went to where the dojo stored its extra bandages, and quickly selected a roll. She helped Kaoru out of thye old bandages, and off with the gi. Kaoru lay on her back while Megumi examined the wound.

"Not that bad- I was afraid that it would be worse." It took Megumi all of five minutes to bandage to wound the proper way, all the while discussing the Incident with Kaoru. Or- to be exact, listening to the story as Kaoru told it.

"Arigatou gozaimatsu, Megumi-san." Kaoru said quietly, selecting a new gi from her closet. Megumi sat there in shock.

'Ken-san... killed someone?' Megumi's eyes softened. 'No wonder he's been so distant... Poor Ken-san.'

"You don't hate him now, do you?" Kaoru asked, truly worried about her friend's reaction. Megumi closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm more worried about Ken-san. I know that he meant to stop himself- our Ken-san is not the kind of person the kill someone. He might have, back in the war, but now- never." Megumi looked at her. "He's saved my life. Even if I did doubt him, I do owe him the benefit of the doubt." Megumi Was about to throw her hair over her shoulder, in an obvious gesture of indifference, but it didn't do much expect shake.

And her hair wasn't the only thing that was shaking. Megumi's shoulder's shook.

"Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked, curious. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder, feeling the tense muscles and the shake, as though she was cdrying.

"It's stupid... it's just my hair- it'll grow back..." Megumi looked at Kaoru, her eyes red around the edges and glittering with moisture. "I'm acting like a stupid tanuki-chan that we all know..." Kaoru ignored the comment. meant to cover Megumi's crying.

"It's okay- I understand. Your hair coupled with your looks is what made you pretty- now that you don't have your looks, you don't think that you can attract Sanosuke any more-" Megumi sat up, fuious and embarrassed.

"Like I care what that tori-atama thinks!" she huffed, folding her arms and looking away from Kaoru. Kaoru smiled.

"That's the Megumi we know. Don't worry about it. Your hair will grow back."

"Like I need my hair to attract a guy..." Megumi said, regaining some of her fire. She looked at Kaoru, proud defiance in her eyes- but also fear.

'By the time it grows back to its former glory, I'll be too old to marry. I'm stretching the limits as it is.' She felt a wave of sadness come over her features, but forced it back.

'Sano won't want an old lady with short hair.'

Someone knocked at the dojo door.

"Huh?" Kaoru said, looking in the general direction of the door. "Sano or Kenshin would come straight in... A visitor?" she asked herself. She stood up and walked over to the door.

"I'll be right back." she told Megumi over her shoulder. Megumi just nodded. Kaoru walked quickly to the door, and opened it to reveal a lady in a beautiful kimono, accompanied by two men- on of them a man about thrity, the other about forty.

The lady had aged well, grey streaks barely showing in her black hair- but she had to be around sixty.

"Is this the Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu dojo?" the older of the males asked. Kaoru nodded.

"I'm Kamiya Kaoru, the assistant master here. May I help you?" she asked uncertainly. The lady spoke up then.

"Yes, I'm looking for someone. I've heard that she is often here, if she's not working at the clinic."

"You mean-?" Kaoru asked, surprised. She felt nervous- the two men were staring at her intently, as if her words were a lifeline. The lady seemed almost afraid to hear what she had to say.

"-Megumi?" Kaoru finished. The two men seemed happy, but shocked, and the woman clapped her hands together in delight.

"Does she really come here? Is she really in Tokyo? Takani Megumi?" the lady asked. Kaoru nodded slowly, slightly unnerved by the lady's manner.

Megumi was slightly restless. Something told her to follow Kaoru. She gave into the impulse and followed her freind, stopping at teh front of the dojo- she could see the main doors, and catch some conversation, but no one was looking at her.

What she saw nearly made her freeze up with shock.

An old lady she knew was talking to Kaoru, accompanied by two men that she knew.

"Mo-Mother..." she said, shocked. Kaoru turned to look at the her.

"'Mother?'" she asked, then glanced back at the lady she had been talking with.

The lady was staring at Megumi, a look of pure joy on her face.

"Megumi!"

A/N: Good? Bad? Terribly cliche? Do tell!  
See you next week. 


	18. Chapter 18

Sanosuke and Kenshin walked in silence. They had dropped Chishio off seconds before, and were now trying to break the strange silence that had fallen between them.

Sano suddenly sucked in a loud breath, letting it out slowly.

"Jou-chan told me what happened with the Incident." he said quietly, words gushing out without thought from his brain. Kenshin froze for all of one second, but managed to keep walking, though hje was looking at the ground sadly and spoke softer.

"Kaoru did, did she?" he asked. "I had hoped you wouldn't have found out. I believe she must have told Megumi-dono as well..."

"I think she did, Kenshin." Sano said. He looked at the smaller man for a moment. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was being selfish. I had finally had friends- I didn't want to give them up." Kenshin said, getting quieter with each word. Sanosuke stopped and threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"Damnit! We all know that you didn't mean to kill the guy! We're still your friends- at least I am! The Fox was fucking worried about you- she thought that keeping something this big inside you would hurt you. We finally hear it from jou-chan, and now you're all like 'I don't deserve friends' and I'm sick and tired of it!" Sano said angrily. Kenshin had stopped walking.

'They were worried about me?'

Scene Change

Lady Takani ran up to Megumi- as much as an old lady in a kimono can run- and embraced her, practically falling on her. Megumi put her arms around her mother numbly. She barely registered her two brothers coime up to her, the initial shock melting into delight.

None of them noticed her hair. Initially, anyway...

"Megumi-neesan, what happened...?" her youngest brother- Komakai- said. Megumi felt the smile slide from her face. She reached up to her hair again.

"Well... I got it cut! Doesn't it look lovely?" Megumi said, attempting to smile. She looked at Kaoru, eyes begging her to play along. Kaoru nodded hesitantly.

Her mother had a dubious expression on her face, and her brothers looked like they were trying to either hold back laughter or hold back a snide remark.

"A hair cut?"

"Yes, they're popular..." Megumi said. She tried to change the subject.

"Let's go inside. Kaoru-san is a great friend of mine, and she owns the dojo. Let's go have some nice hot tea, and you can tell me what happened to you." Her mother nodded, though she obviously suspected something. Suddenly, her eyes melted from suspiscion into warmth.

"It's so good to see you again, Megumi-chan. After we lost your father..." Lady Takani's voice faltered. ".. after we lost him, and we couldn't find you, I thopught that both of you were lost. Let's not talk about us. Let's talk about you. I heard that you were apprenticed to a doctor about four years ago..."

Scene Change

Yahiko woke up.

"Itai..." he muttered, rubbing his heaed. It had been early in the afternoon when he had been knocked out, and now it was late in the afternoon.

'Bastard must have knocked me out...' he thought. (Habits are so easily transmitted from Sano to Yahiko...) He heard the low murmur of voices, as if someone was talking on the other side of the dojo.

"Megumi?" he asked himself, recognizing the doctor's voice. "What's she doing-?" he asked himself, then his mind came to the only logical conclusion.

'If Megumi's here, and I don't hear Kenshin- that's probably Kaoru, I can hear her now- does that mean that Kenshin's-?' Yahiko got up as quickly as he could with his pounding headache, and ran to the other side of the dojo, yelling for Kaoru.

"Oi! Busu!"

Scene Change

Kaoru was smiling politely and serving tea- Megumi had made it, so she had to serve it. Besides, Megumi was being reunited with her family.

"We looked all over for you, Megumi, but we couldn't find you. We assumed that you had been killed and we grieved for you, even though we couldn't find your body. We heard about two months ago that you were working in Tokyo. We looked in Tokyo, and we learned that you had been apprenticed to a doctor for a while, and were now working at a clinic. I was in poor health, so it took us a while to move out of the area of Tokyo we were in." Lady Takani smiled at her only daughter.

"We missed you very much." Kai said, her oldest brother. He smiled at her, a smile that she had last seen when she was a child. She grinned back.

"I thought that you had all died on the battlefields. I never thought I'd see you again!"

"We thought the same of you!" Komakai laughed, but they were interrupted by a rude shouting.

"Oi, BUSU!" Kaoru's first instinct was to hit Yahiko- it was plainly his voice, then guilt. She had almost completely forgotten about her only student. She hadn't gone looking for him...

Yahiko slammed open the shoji door, bokken on his back.

"Oi, where's busu and where's Megumi?" he asked aloud, then spotted them both. He took one look at Megumi, then he took another at her hair.

"What the fu-"

"YAHIKO!" Kaoru shouted, jumping up and slapping a hand over the boy's mouth. Yahiko looked steamed, then drew his bokken and hit Kaoru's head.

"Busu! What did you do that for!" Yahiko said.

"Yahiko-CHAN, children aren't supposed to SWEAR! Sanosuke rubbing off on you more than I realized!" Kaoru hit Yahiko over the head for hitting her, and for calling her ugly.

"Don't call me -CHAN!" he yelled, leaping at her. She struck with her bokken, the weapon appearing out of nowhere.

Lady Takani laughed slightly. Megumi just sat calmly, waiting for the fight to stop. It did, as soon as bopth fighter's heard Lady Takani laughing.

"What's so funny!" Yahiko demanded of the poor old woman. She giggled.

"You just reminded me of my sons, when they were much younger. They used to fight all the time too." Yahiko seemed taken aback- he didn't know what to say. Kaoru just closed her eyes angrily.

"Yahiko-CHAN, I'd like you to meet Megumi-san's mother, Lady Takani, and Megumi-san's two brothers, Kai and Komakai."

"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko said angrily, but didn't leap at her as he usually would have done. He just folded his arms and sat down next to Megumi, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"What did you do to your hair?" he asked her. Megumi was about to answerm but her mother interrupted her.

"She says that she cut it, and that it's all the rage in Tokyo." Yahiko started laughing.

"Megumi wouldn't cut her hair!" He suddenly stopped laughing and turned to her. "I'll bet it was that green-eyed guy, wasn't it?" Yahiko didn't notice that the people in the room had frozen.

"He knocked me out, so I didn't get to see what happened, but I betcha Kenshin fought him, right?" Yahiko asked, eyes wide open.

"Who, child? who is Kenshin?" The lady asked, then looked at Kaoru. "And who is Sanosuke? And what about this green-eyed man? No one mentioned these men before..."

"Children's imaginations- they get so out of hand." Kaoru said, laughing weakly, trying to steer Megumi's mother out of dangerous waters. Megumi looked at her lap, what little hair she had left covering her eyes.

"We should just tell them." Megumi said, then looked at Kaoru. Her eyes begged Kaoru to let her do the talking. Kaoru nodded hesitatntly.

"Please do. I want to know why my only daughter- one I have not seen for a very long time- decides to lie to me. I can handle it."

Sorry for the long wait in updating! I got tied up in some school crap and it slipped my mind. Hopefully this chapter was okay- I'll update next week, on time! (Meaning next Wednesday or Saturday) 


	19. Chapter 19

Megumi took in a slow breath, careful of how she worded this.

'There are certain things I'll have to leave out- if my family are going to be temporary houseguests- I'm sure they'll want to stay- they can't know everything until they know some people better...'

"Have you ever heard of Takeda Kanryu?" she asked her family. To her dismay- or some sort of odd relief- they all nodded.

"He was that horrible man that was arrested about a year ago, I believe." her mother said. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"I was working for him." Megumi said in a low voice. Her family froze in shock. "I was his opium maker. I'd process the opium ingrediants he'd obtained for me."

"Megumi..." Kai said, almost drawing away from her. She didn't look up.

"I had been told that I was making medicine to save people. Kanryu told the truth after he killed my master- his first opium-maker. I managed to escape. Kanryu sent people after me, but I managed to my way to a safe haven." She did look up then. "The Kamiya Dojo." She continmued on, though Kaoru frowned.

'She didn't come here until after Kenshin and Sano saved her- is this why she wanted me to be quiet?'

"Ken-san and that tori-atama-"

"-Sanosuke-" her brother supplied dazedly. She nodded. "-they saved my life from those that would have taken me back to Kanryu. They're both very good men- upstanding members of society. They've saved my life, and the lives of many others. Ken-san told me that I shouldn't turn myself into the police, so I could pay for the lives I've taken with my life. He told me to live and become a doctor, so I could save people's lives. He is a very smart and gentle man. The tori-atama saved my life many times."

"Jou-chan! Fox-lady! Brat!" a voice called.

Sanosuke and Kenshin were home.

Kenshin and Sanosuke had walked back home, discussing trivial things- mostly ascertaining that they were still friends. Kenshin had even smiled during the trip home. The secret no longer hung over their heads.

"Oi, Jou-chan! Fox-lady!" Sanosuke called again. "We're back!" Kenshin felt something at the edge of his consciousness. He let the feeling in, sensing three unfamiliar ki's. They weren't angry or in any way indicating that they were about to attack. In fact, they seemed shocked. Kaoru and Megumi-dono's ki's were fine. Yahiko- nothing out of place.

Kaoru jumped up nervously, grabbing Yahiko- he had looked at though he would say something several times throughout the story, but thank Kami he had kept silent!

"Uh... a delivery from the local restaurant!" she invented, running out the door.  
Megumi was now alone with her family.

"Megumi..." he mother said, reaching for her but apparently thinking better of it.

"Do you hate me now?" Megumi said, eyes downcast again. "Will you disown me?" She was shocked when she felt two frail arms envelop her. Her mother was... hugging her?

"You are my only daughter. A Takani wouldn't kill unless she had been forced." Her mother released her, looking warmly into her eyes. "Kaoru-san has forgiven you, and she seems to be an understanding type. She wouldn't forgive you if you had killed on purpose, and besides, you wanted to hand yourself over to the police- you wouldn't do that if you wanted to kill and not be caught." Megumi had taers in her eyes. She hugged her mother tight.

"Arigatou, mama."

Kaoru nearly ran into the two men that resided in the Kamiya Dojo. Kenshin caught her.

"Kaoru, daijabou?" he asked her. She smiled.

"Megumi's family is here. They're talking with her now."

"The fox-lady's... family?" Sano asked, practically straining the words out of his mouth.

'Would the sainted Takani's take a gangster into their family? And that's if the Fox-lady accepts me. Face it Sano, you're screwed.' He quickly shut down the hentai part of his mind, think about 'Megumi', 'screwed', and himself.

"Yes- Sano? What's wrong?" she asked. He waved her off. She started to shake her head, but noticed that Sanosuke was hurt.

"Sanosuke!" she said loudly, practically yelling at him. "What do you think you are doing, bleeding on my clean floor!" She put her hands on her hips and stared him in the eye.

"Oh, yeah, can you get the Fox-lady to look at these for me?" he asked offhandedly. Kaoru sighed and nodded.

'That baka- he's always getting into fights.' she thought. 'Megumi-san's going to yell at him again... and I just cleaned that floor a while ago too!'

Megumi and her family practically jumped when they heard Kaoru shouting.

"-doing, bleeding on my clean floor!"

"That baka tori-atama!" Megumi said, pushing herself up off the floor quickly. "He's gone and gotten himself hurt again!"

"Sanosuke's gotten himself hurt again?" her mother asked. "Does he do this often? And what did that boy mean by a 'green-eyed' man?"

"I'm sorry, okaa-san." Megumi said, picking up her medicine bag. "But Kaoru can answer those questions. I have to help that baka- for all I know, he's standing up just to prove how tough he is, but he's not too badly hurt, or Kaoru-san wouldn't be yelling at him." She looked over her shoulder. "Ken-san and Kaoru-san can answer any other questions you might have." Megumi walked out of the room, yelling for Kaoru.

"Kaoru! Get Ken-san and talk to my family! I'll help the baka..." Her voice stopped reaching them as she got farther and farther away.

Yahiko sighed.

"They always forget about me." he muttered, looking out the door. Her glanced sideways at Megumi's family.

"I can answer any quick questions you have." he said, crossing his arms in front of his body. "At least until Kenshin and busu get here."

"What kind of a man is Kenshin? Yes, yes, Megumi may say that he's an upstanding member of society, but we don't know much else about him. And what about this 'Sanosuke' person?" Megumi's mother looked directly at him,as though she could see right through him and see if he were lying.

"Well, Kenshin's Japan's number one guy. He's the coolest. I'm going to be able to fight just like him when I'm older!" Yahiko declared. "Sanosuke just mooches off of busu and gambles and drinks, but he helps Kenshin a lot. He's strong too."

"A gambler and a drunk?" Megumi's mother said dubiously. "Gambling is illegal!" Yahiko just looked at her, as if to say 'so?'.

Just then the door opened, and two people walked in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kaoru said, smiling.

"We're very sorry." Kenshin said, bowing slightly. They both sat down, Kenshin placing his sword beside him- always near, but not threatening to the visitors.

"Oh, this is Kenshin." Kaoru said.

"They could probably have guessed that, busu." Yahiko commented from Kenshin's other side.

"Don't call me ugly, Yahiko-CHAN!" Kaoru said.

"Don't call me -CHAN!" Yahiko said, preparing to leap at her.

"Maybe we shouldn't fight in front of Megumi-dono's family?" Kenshin said. Kaoru still bristled, but calmed down. Yahiko sat down again, but he 'hmphed' loudly and crossed his arms.

"Well... Kenshin, correct?" Megumi's mother asked. Kenshin nodded, looking at her. "What do you do for a living? I noticed that you still have a sword- are you a policeman?"

"No. I live at the dojo and do some work. Kaoru lets me stay here. I am a rurouni, though I don't really wander anymore."

"What's with the katana? Do you fight a lot?" Megumi's older brother asked. Kenshin looked at him.

"My katana can't really hurt anyone. Here, let me show you." Kenshin held the scabbard of the blade out to Kai, the hilt end first. Kai slowly drew the blade out.

"It's reversed." He shoved the katana back inside the sheath. "Why do you still carry around a blade anyways? You can't do anything with it, and it's against the law!" Kenshin looked down at his lap for a moment, then answered carefully.

"I carry this around so that I can- at least- protect the ones around me- the ones I love." He barely managed to avoid looking at Kaoru outright- he just glanced ta her from the corner of his eye. "I don't need to kill to protect, and I once made a vow never to kill. I carry this to make sure I can uphold that vow and still protect."

"Do you use it often?" Komakai asked. Kenshin hesitated. He knew that Komakai was asking if the dojo was often in danger. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to alarm Megumi-dono's family.

"I use it when I must." he said. Vague, but it was the truth.

Sorry for taking so long! I got distracted... School and Kingdom Hearts 2 kept me fom updating- sorry sorry! 


	20. Chapter 20

AGHHHHH! Baka author! I'm so sorry- I completely forgot about you readers! I was at my camp.  
Megumi/Sano pairing here folks!

Megumi fumed. Sano had a slash across his- well-toned and very firm- abs, she noted.

"Sagara Sanosuke, the least you could do is get into a fight and not get slashed up!" she scolded. She examined his knees, hand, and chest closely.

Well, maybe not as close as she'd like to, but then again, people don't always get what they want.

"Well, sorry, Fox! It wasn't my fault the temne had a hidden dagger!" Sano spat out, putting his hands behind his head in a gesture of obvious nonchalance.(Sp?)

"Great- I have to bandage your knees and chest up so they don't get infected..." she said. "Your hand can heal from the cut on your knuckles in days- bandages aren't needed." She instructed him to sit on a chair, legs straight.

"I can do it myself!"

"Not properly!" Megumi said, almost scolding him. "Hold still."

"Whatever." Sano said. Megumi took a roll of bandages and unrolled about six inches of it. She wrapped the bandage slowly- but tightly- around Sano's knee.

"Ow! That hurts." he said.

"Suck it up. Are you a baby?" Megumi asked. Sano looked at her, the slight sting he felt from her comment covered quickly up by pride. He couldn't let her see his soft side.

"Keh." he said. They were quiet for a while. Megumi quickly finished wrapping up Sanosuke's knee. He glanced at it, noticing that she had done a great job.

"Now, let me see that wound on your chest." Megumi said, managing to suppress her blush.

'It's just Sanosuke.' she thought. Sano nodded.

"Want me to take off my shirt?" he asked. "It'd be easier to bandage the slash that way." he added quickly. (A/N: Just so everyone knows this will NOT turn into a lemon! I don't write those, so stop thinking hentai! All Sano is doing is taking off that shirt-thing he wears. A half-naked Sano is not an uncommon sight!)

'Since when has Sano wanted to make things easy for me?' Megumi wondered, but she had to admit that she did not mind the thought of a half-naked Sano.

"That would be fine. I have to get a better look at the wound." she said, thinking up a medical reason to get his shirt off.

"Okay." he said softly, sliding it easily off his shoulders. Megumi stood up and looked a bt closer at the wound. It had been a clean, shallow slash. It wouldn't take all that much to wrap it up.

'First things first- clean it up.' she thought, grabbing a bucket filled with clean water that she had grabbed earlier just to clean Sanosuke's wounds. She dipped a small cloth into the bucket, then pulled it up and wrung it out a bit.

"Hold still." she said, practically whispering, but unsure why. She dabbed at the wound, gentely cleaning it up. She was almost sorry when she was done. She dried it quickly, grabbing a roll of bandages as she laid the towel aside.

"Sit on the floor- I can't get behnd you to draw the bandage tight when you're on the chair." she commanded. He silently complied, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Neither had noticed, but it was twilight outside, practically night.

"I can't work in this light. I'll be right back." Megumi told Sanosuke. She walked over to the door, exiting silently.

'All I need are a few candles. Kaoru should have them somewhere in the kitchen.' She slowly walked over to the kitchen. After rummaging around in the drawers for a minutes or two, she came up with a few good candles. She lit one with a match and carried the others to the room.

"I'm back." she said, putting the candles in their holders down near Sanosuke, all placed so that it would be easy to see the wound. She lit them with the candle she held in her hand.

"This won't hurt." she promised him, grabbing the bandages again and kneeling down behind him. She had to be taller that he was so that she could see over his shoulders to the wound. She slowly unwound a few inches of the bandages and began to roll it tightly over the wound, making sure that it was all clean and neat.

Again and again she wrapped it aroudn his waist, noticing their closeness but pretending not to. She was half-sorry and half-relieved when she was done. For some reason she didn't want to move far away though.

"Thank you, Fox." Sanosuke said softly, looking over his shoulder at her and smiling a little. He grabbed his shirt- which was just behind Megumi- and pulled it on while sitting up. He stood.

"I have to go now. 'Bye." he said, pulling her to her feet. Megumi heart began pounding, but not in a bad way.

"Why do you have to leave?" she asked, then quickly covered up her concern. "You shouldn't move too much with that wound."

"I should. Your family is here. I don't fit in."

"You're Kaoru's friend, this is her dojo, and you fit right in. Stay. You're wounded as well. Do you just not want to meet my family because you dislike me? The Takani's aren't all as bad as I am." Megumi said, seemingly indifferent and poking fun at herself- sarcastically, of course.

"Do you want me to meet your family?" Sanosuke asked. He was in a strange mood- he felt much braver than ususal.

Maybe it was because Megumi was concerned about him.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to." she said, neatly dodging the question.

"I didn't ask if I have to. I asked if you wanted me to." he said. Megumi looked away, hoping that the flames would account for the slight red on her cheeks, now that she no longer had long hair to hide it.

"I don't care."

"Look at me, Fox. If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't be looking away." Sanosuke was almost amused by how she refused to look at him.

She looked him straight in the eye, opened her mouth... but nothing came out. She closed her mouth again.

"Hm." she said, sounding a bit frustrated.

"Why would you want to meet my family anyway?" she asked, suspecting but not daring to hope.

"Why are you asking me that?" he countered. Megumi didn't answer.

Sano sighed. "I have to go."

"Stay." The word was out of her mouth before her mind registered it. Sano looked at her.

"Why? I don't have any reason except my wounds, and they're all bandaged up now. They were minor to begin with."

"Because..." Megumi racked her mind for an answer. Nothing came. Sanosuke suddenly threw his hands up in the air in a gesture of frustration.

"You make everything so damn diffucult, Fox." he said, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Megumi glared at him, finally finding a way to talk to him.

"I make everything difficult! You complicate things with your brainless acts, roosterhead!" she said, putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward, as to yell at him better.

"I'm not talking about the things we do with Kenshin! I'm talking about..." he stopped, turning around and rubbing his head.

"...us." he whispered to himself.

"About what, Sagara?" she asked, straightening up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"...nothing." he said, still facing away from her. She smirked, enjoying a battle apparently won, though -in a small corner of her mind- she was a bit disappointed.

"I never complicate anything. I never misunderstand people either." she said.

"You've misunderstood what I've been trying to say to you almost since I met you!" he retorted, turning back around.

"Oh? And what's that?" she asked.

"Everything!" he said, unsure of she'd react if he just out and said it. "You make everything so damn hard to say!"

"I make NOTHING hard to say! Everyone else has always said whatever was on their minds to me! Am I that hard to like, that you won't tell me anything!" she demanded, tears welling up in her eyes, though she refused to let them be seen.

"I..." he said, eyes softening and looking away. She thought that he disliked her? It was the exact opposite. It was that he couldn't let her know how much he liked her. If he talked, he was afraid he'd spill it. Should he tell her he loved her?

"...I don't hate you." he said, looking away. Shock registered on her face, but she covered it up.

"Then why do you accuse me of making things difficult and not talk to me?" she asked, arms folded.

"I can't talk to you!"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't say anything to you! You make it difficult for me to do ANYTHING, Fox!" he burst out.

"Say whatever you want to say to me." she demanded. "You can't accuse me of making things difficult if it's you that can't speak!"

"Maybe I will!" The two glared at each other for a minute, then Sanosuke sighed.

"I can't do it." he mumbled, just loud enough for Megumi to hear.

"Do what? Talk to me? What can't you do?" she demanded, angrily. "Tell me NOW, Sagara Sanosuke!"

'I may never get another chance like this...' Sano thought. 'What the hell, I've known her for years and she hasn't figured it out. If I do this now, then she won't have to see me again if she doesn't want to... God I'll miss her.' he thought.

All of his thoughts had passed through his mind quicker than you can snap your fingers twice.

"This!" he said, grabbing her arm to pull her close, then behind her neck to pull her face up to meet his, lips meeting almost roughly.

Cliffie- sorry folks, that's where I'll leave it for the time being. I'll post the next chapter next week, k? 


	21. Chapter 21

Mgeumi's arms went slack, hanging by her side. Her eyes opened wide.

Sanosuke was kissing her.

Even with her hair as short as a boy's, her attitude, her scolding, her shouting... everything!

The shock was so great she forgot to respond, and Sanosuke pulled away before she could kiss back. He moved the hand holding her neck gentely to her cheek, sliding his hand carefully over, a sad smile on his face and in his eyes.

"Sumimasen, Megumi. I'm just the roosterhead you always said I was. Baka..." he said, meaning himself, not her. His hand slid away from her cheek, and he released her other arm. Megumi was still frozen in shock.

"I'll go now. If you ever want to see me again in a few years, you know where to find me." he said softly, grabbing his shirt and walking away.

'Sanosuke... loves me?' she thought, a small part of her mind realizing that the only man she had loved was walking away from her, thinking that she disliked him.

"Wait." she called softly. It may have been quiet, but it stopped him. He turned around just in time to see Megumi crying as she jumped into his arms, hugging him.

"I don't want you to go." she said, sounding like a little kid who didn't want her parents to go to work and leave her alone. Sanosuke smiled gentley and hugged her back. He bent his head a little to nuzzle her hair.

"You know what?" He moved his head as Megumi looked up at him, her tear-streaked face and tear-filled eyes completeing the picture of a lonely little kid. He bent his head to kiss her forehead.

"I don't want to go either." Megumi nuzzled her face into Sanosuke's chest, smiling happily and hugging him as tight as she could without aggravating his wound. Sanosuke hugged her back, a look of contentment on his face.

-Back With The Family-

"When you must? Is that often?" Lady Takani asked Kenshin.

"Not really. Things are much more peaceful nowadays, so I don't use it as much as I once did." Kenshin said.

"What did you use it for before coming here?" Komakai asked.

"The government. Police work." Kaoru said quickly.

She was a bad liar. A very bad liar.

"Can you please tell us the truth? Something is going on- and I doubt it's good. Why did my daughter say that she had gotten a hair cut? I know perfectly well that she did not. The only reason that she would lie is to protect someone." Lady Takani looked directly at Kenshin. "And I have a feeling that that person is you. I want the whole truth. The boy- Yahiko- mentioned a man with green eyes, but everyone else refuses to speak of him. My daughter keeps on assuring me that both you and this 'Sanosuke' person are great members of society, but Yahiko tells me that Sanosuke is a gambler and a drunk." Kaoru shot an angry glare at Yahiko then. He gulped.

'Busu'll give me so many extra strikes to do tomorrow...' he groaned mentally.

"I want the truth. I have not seen my daughter in years, and now that I've found her, she lies to me. I want the truth! Is that so much to ask?"

Kaoru bit her lip.

"You're right. We haven't told the truth." she said, looking down.

"Kaoru's right. Megumi lied when she told you the story. Well, she left bits out." Yahiko said.

"What do you know?" Kenshin said. "I shall fill you in on the rest. All about Sanosuke, Yahiko, and myself. Kaoru can tell you her story."

"Why don't I get to tell mine?" Yahiko asked.

"You wouldn't tell them, or you'd make yourself sound godlike." Kaoru said.

"I'm ready to hear the whole story. I'm made of sterner stuff than I appear." Lady Takani said dryly.

"I'll tell mine first." Kaoru said. She took a deep breath, then began.

"It was years ago. A false Battousai was in our area, and using the name and sword-style of my school. He and his brother were in a plot to destroy me so they could take my dojo and industrialize it. I met Kenshin while hunting for the fake Battousai."

"A man was pretending to be Battousai, and you were hunting him all by yourself?" Komakai asked, awed.

"My father had died- his last gifts to me were this school and sword-style. I was determined to beat the man I believed to be Battousai at the time, even if it meant my death. That is my entire story."

"That's it? No more secrets?"

"No more secrets." Kaoru promised.

"Now you go." Kai said, pointing at Kenshin. "You we know the least about."

"True, you know little about me. And I am the logical one to take up this narrative, since I come in next." Kenshin said. "I do not know where to start."

"Start with your parents, your childhood, anything." Komakai suggested.

"I don't know who my parents were. I lost my parents at an early age."

"To the war?" Kenshin looked at Lady Takani, who had asked.

"Yes. They died early during the war. I was sold into slavery as a young boy. Bandits attacked the caravan I was traveling in. A wandering swordsman stopped by and killed the bandits. Later, he accepted me as his student. I learned the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu from him, and then I joined the war."

"As a soldier? How old were you?" Kai asked, surprised. Kenshin looked down, as though ashamed.

"I was a teen. I did not join as a soldier, or as a scout. I joined as a hitokiri, due to my speed and skill with a sword." The Takani's seemed almost frozen. This was the last thing that they had expected... such a gentle-looking man, too.

"A hitokiri?" Komakai whispered. Kenshin looked up then, looking all the Takani's in the eye.

"You would have heard of me. I was supposed to stay a secret, the secret weapon of the revolutionaries, but I was found out. My name then was Hitokiri Battousai, or some called me Himura Battousai." Soft gasps could be heard, but Kenshin pressed on with his story.

"I slayed countless men. I don't look it but I am around twenty-eight. While the war was going on, I turned 15. During that time, 15 was considered a good age to marry. The war had taken a turn for the worse. The leader had told me to escape. I escaped with a woman that had seen me... seen me on one of my jobs. She had been drunk, but I had taken her back to the hotel the revolutionaries were staying at. I had fallen in love with her, so I got her out of there as well. The leader had told us to hide as man and wife, so we would not be found by the Shinsengumi or anyone else. Soon, we were man and wife in reality as well. We lived together happily for a short while, but then she went out one morning to give information to my enemies. "

"She had been their spy, but was now feeding them information to hinder them, trying to save my life. I was told that she was a traitor and followed her. I still loved her, even though I had found out that I had killed her fiancee on one of my missions. I had found out by reading part of her diary after she had left that morning, and I didn't read up to the part where she had said she loved me. I followed after to to save her- she had been taken captive by those she had believed her allies. "

"I found three men before getting to their boos, and by the time I reached him, I was half-blind, deaf, and very badly wounded. I still founght him to save Tomoe's- my wife's- life. He prepared for a killing strike with a hidden daggar as I was preparing to slice him in half with my sword. My vision wasn't clear yet, but I could still tell where he was. Tomoe jumped in between us as he and I slashed down. She grabbed his arm to prevent him from killing me even as I killed them both." Kenshin's face turned haunted.

"As she died, I promised to stop killing after the war was over. To mark my promise, she gave me my second scar, crossing over the first that her fiancee had given me." He touched the cross scar on his cheek.

"After ten yaers of wandering around helping people, I met Kaoru. I helped her defeat the fake Battousai and we turned him into the police. Shortly after, we met Yahiko." Kenshin smiled at the youth. "Your story is next."

TBC Okay- we'll end it here for today! See ya later! 


	22. Chapter 22

"Yahiko was a pickpocket for a Yakuza gang. I managed to get the gang to free him. They were about to kill him for refusing to steal for them. I brought him back to this dojo and Kaoru took Yahiko as her student. We met Sanosuke shortly after. He was known as Zanza then." A gasp could be heard from the Takani's. Kenshin smiled sadly.

"So, Zanza is another name you know. He was part of the Seikio Army, and furious with the patriots for lying to his captain and then killing him for spreading their lie, which he believed to be the truth. Sanosuke vowed to get revenge for Captain Sagara, and even took his last name. He and I fought, and after he learned that I was still searching for the revolution that Captain Sagara had dreamed of, we became friends. We fight together when an enemy comes along. Megumi was different."

"Kenshin." Kaoru broke in. He looked at her. "I can tell Megumi-san's story." Kenshin nodded.

"Megumi-san was making opium for Kanryu against her will when we met her. She had come here, but then Kanryu had threatened to put mercury in our well and burn down our dojo if she didn't go back. She went back, but then Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko went to rescue her. Kenshin convinced her not to turn herself into the police and pay for the lives she had taken with her life, but by saving other lives as a doctor. She listened, and now works as a doctor in town."

"And now, lastly, what about the green-eyed man?" Lady Takani demanded.

'I have to hand it to her, she's a strong old lady.' Yahiko thought.

"That must be Chishio. He kidnapped Megumi-dono and used Kaoru as a hostage to kill me." Kenshin said. "He cut her hair and brought it with him as proof that he had her, and he was holding a knife to Kaoru's throat so that I wouldn't attack. When he dropped Kaoru and went to get Megumi-dono, I followed. We fought, and Megumi-dono got free. She left and got Sanosuke. He fought Chishio all by himself, beating him even though Chishio had a sword and he had only his fists."

"And what about Sanosuke's gambling and drinking?"

"He only gambles sometimes, with friends. He only drinks when he's really down. He's not that different from any other male." Kaoru said.

"That is the whole truth?" Kai asked. Simotaneously, Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko nodded.

"I... didn't expect this." Lady Takani said, an unreadable look on her face. She looked up.

"You must all be very good friends of Megumi-chan then, correct?"

"Hai." They all answered.

"Then, any friend of Megumi-chan's is welcomed by her mother." Lady Takani smiled. "It seems like you all have lead hard lives, but you are all connected by a bond of friendship. I cannot disrespect that. You are all- in the words of my daughter- upstanding members of society." Lady Takani smiled warmly at Kenshin for a minute.

"You probably even help the police force, correct? You seem like you are trying to atone, my boy." Kenshin nodded.

"Just one more question." Komakai said. "Why was Chishio after you in the first place?"

Dead silence.

"I... I broke my vow to my dead wife." Kenshin said, looking down. "I killed a man. He had kidnapped Kaoru and threatened to kill her as slowly and painfully as possible. I had fought a few roomfuls of his confederates before I got to him. He was slicing off Kaoru's pinky finger as I walked in- he had cut it down to the bone. I was so angry at him for that, but he then licked the knife and later slashed her down her back as..." Kenshin briefly recalled the kiss he and Kaoru had shared. "...as she protected me. The blow had been meant for me. I was furious, and I could no longer hold back my anger. I didn't flip the blade aimed for his neck over in time. It cut into his windpipe. Almost instant death." Kenshin said.

Lady Takani gentely grabbed Kenshin's hand.

"It's okay. You didn't mean to. If you had truly menat to kill him, and not felt any remorse, than I would be scared of you. You tried to stop. You are a good person." Kenshin looked at her.

"Would you honestly trust me with your life? I have killed so many poeple..."

"I would. I know that you have an honest heart. And- besides- anyone would get angry when someone hurt their finacee."

Yahiko snorted.

"Fiancee! Busu and Kenshin are just friends." Yahiko nearly doubled over, laughing.

"Really?" Lady Takani seemed surprised. She glanced at Yahiko, then back to Kenshin and Kaoru, who were very obviously not looking at each other.

"I thought that you would be. You keep on glancing over at each other. I would have thought that you were fiancees!" Kaoru colored.

"We- we're not..." Kaoru said.

"What's with the disappointment?" Lady Takani asked as her two sons watched as their mother tried to figure out why Kenshin and Kaoru weren't fiancees.

"Do you not love each other? Is that it? No, it can't be, you two look at each other too much for it to be that... Other lovers? No... you're not the type... Oh!" she exclaimed. "Was it a secret?" By this time both Kaoru and Kenshin were very red, though Kenshin hid it better than Kaoru.

'She's nearly sixty, but she acts like a twenty-year-old!' Kai thought.

"Forgive her." he said, seeing how uncomfortable she was making their hosts. "She imagines much." His mom looked at him.

"I do no-!"

"Gomen nasai!" he apologized.

"Not needed, Takani-san." Kaoru said, still red. "But maybe it is time for dinner?"

"Hai, Kaoru-san." Komakai said. "What's for dinner?"

"I can make some miso soup and rice balls." Kenshin said.

"That would be good- arigatou." Kai said, smiling. "But isn't cooking a woman's job?" he added, frowning a bit. He had almost forgotten that the man he was talking to was the legendary hitokiri, capable of killing him without standing up.

"Hai, but Kaoru lets me live here. The least I can do is cook while she teaches her students." Kenshin said, smiling. His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah, and we'd all be dead by now if Kenshin let busu cook!" Yahiko snorted. Kaoru hit him over the head with a bokken.

"What was that for?"

"You know perfectly well what that was for!" Kaoru said. "I can cook!"

"Tastes terrible though!" Yahiko said.

"Kaoru's cooking tastes fine, Yahiko." Kenshin said, looking at the small boy. "Maybe I should get Megumi-dono and Sano."

"I'll get them. You go ahead and cook." Kai said, smiling. Kenshin nodded and stood. He left, followed by Kaoru.

"I'll help you look." Yahiko offered.

"I don't want to interfere with Kenshin cooking, so I'll help too. This is a big place." Komakai said. Lady Takani smilied.

"I don't want to interfere with them, so I'll start heading down to the dining area in a few minutes."

Dining Hall

Kaoru's face burned. She kept on recalling their conversation with Lady Takani in the other room.

'Did she really catch all those times I glanced at Kenshin? I didn't look at him any more than usual!' she thought. 'But, then again, I always do glance at him...' Even now she snuck a peek at the former assassin. His face was calm, but almost expressionless.

'How could she tell?' Kenshin thought wildly, his calm face not betraying the turbulent emotions within. 'I barely even glanced at Kaoru the whole meeting!' His eyes almost softened, but he hid it.

'Kaoru would turn me away if she found out. For now, it is enough to be close and to speak to her every day.'

'For now?' something in the back of his mind whispered to him. 'What about later? What about when she falls in love for the first time and marries the man? How will you be there on her wedding day, for you know that you wouldn't miss it for the world? How will you control yourself? How? How? How?' Kenshin's mind conjured up an image of Kaoru standing next to a man in a wedding kimono, and the man in the traditional wedding outfit as well. He mentally shook himself.

"She should be happy. Her happiness will never include me." he muttered to himself, the noise further banishing the image of Kaoru dressed for her wedding with another man.

"What was that Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, looking over at him. He looked up, a bit startled. He had forgotten that Kaoru was walking with him.

"Nothing Kaoru." he said as they reached the kitchen. "Nothing."

AN: Sorry for the late update! There'll be a few more chapters yet, but I'm wrapping it up soon. 


	23. Chapter 23

Kaoru watched Kenshin prepare the food to be cooked. She knew something was bugging him, and she figured it had something to do with her.

'It was probably what Lady Takani said- about us being fiancees. He realized that I was looking at him. I'm not old enough. I'm not pretty enough. I'm not feminine enough. I'm not good enough.' she told herself, her eyes filling up with tears. She sniffled a little, not wanting her nose to become all plugged up. It wasn't loud, but it was loud enough to catch the attention of a retired manslayer.

"Kaoru?" he asked, looking up from the herbs he was cutting. "Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?" he asked, seeing the tears on her face. She smiled at him. The smile didn't reach her eyes- they were still sad and a bit wistful.

"No. I'm fine Kenshin. Just thinking." she said, using her kimono edge to wipe away the tears that had started to fall.

"About what, if you don't mind me asking?" Kenshin said. Kaoru looked to the side, not wanting to look directly at him.

"About what Lady Takani said." she said. Immediately, Kenshin was apologetic.

"I'm sorry if she made you sad, Kaoru. Don't take it too seriously. It's okay." Kenshin said, smiling just as sadly back at her, but covering it up considerably well. "Please stop crying." he asked her gentely. Kaoru wiped her face again.

"I'm fine Kenshin." she told him. "I... I..." she stopped, unable to continue.

"It's okay if you're mad at me. I had no right to keep glancing at you during the conversation." Open mouth, insert foot. Kaoru glanced up, startled.

"You really were looking at me?" Kaoru asked, glancing at him, her surprise drying her tears momentarily. Kenshin found himself in a bit of a fix, but figured that the truth would be better than a lie, no matter how well those same lies had served him in past years.

"Yes. I thought you knew, and that's why you were crying." Kenshin said. This opened the floodgate again. Kenshin moved closer towards her. "Please stop crying, Kaoru." he said, reaching out and wiping away her tear with his finger instinctively.

"I wasn't crying because of that. It was because she thought we were fia- something else she said." Kaoru said quickly, her mouth moving with her brain giving the orders. Kaoru looked away again. "I'm sorry. I'm just acting like a little child. You should get back to cooking, Kenshin." Kenshin, however didn't feel like he had cleared things up between them.

"Because she thought we were fiancees?" Kenshin asked quietly. Kaoru froze while Kenshin looked down. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."

"No, Kenshin, it just made me sad." she said, trying to reassure him without knowing how her statement would affect him. It was Kenshin's turn to be surprised as he looked at Kaoru, shock written on his face. Kaoru- who just realized what she had said- blushed and bit her lip.

'What if he takes it the wrong way? Will he leave? If he takes it the right way, what will-?' She didn't finish the thought.

"Sad how?" he asked slowly. Kaoru just stared at him, her eyes staring into his. She felt as though his eyes were searching for something- they seemed to dive into her soul, trying to find what they needed.

Was that... hope?

It may have been the moon, the sky, or the stars that night, for Kaoru decided that it was time to admit how she felt, even if it meant he left.

"Longing and wistful. Happy and depressed." she replied, the words coming out slowly so that she didn't stumble over her own tongue. She was still staring him straight in the eye. She saw something that looked like hope, but then it was crushed by uncertainty as he looked away. She grabbed his hand.

"When Lady Takani said that she thought we were fiancees, I was longing for that to be the truth. When that passed, I thought about what life would be like with you. I was happy, but then I realized it could never be." Kenshin looked at her, mouth slightly open in shock.

"Kenshin, I want the truth now." she said, determined to find out if he loved her like she loved him, even if it meant risking her pride. "How do you feel about me?" He didn't speak. He just stared at her, as though overwhelmed by what she had just told him. All there was was silence between them, for a few minutes at least.

"I need to know." Kaoru told him, eyes brimming with tears. Kenshin stayed silent, shocked.

'She can't mean...?' he thought. Kaoru looked down.

"Heh. I guess it was too much to hope for." She looked back up at Kenshin, a sad smile on her face. "I knew that you couldn't love me as I love you. I'll understand if you want to wander again." Kaoru moved a little closer to Kenshin, tears still in her eyes, but not running down her face.

"Please don't hate me..." Kaoru whispered, kissing the still shocked ex-assassin. At that moment, something clicked.

'The kiss where the man died... it wasn't a dream!' Kenshin thought. He had dreamed of kissing Kaoru many times before, but he would know this feeling anywhere. It hadn't been a dream. It had been real...

Kaoru broke away from him.

"Sumimasen, Kenshin." she said, standing up slowly, a single tear finding its way down her face. "Sayonara." Kaoru turned to leave.

"Kaoru." His voice made her pause.

"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me? I am an ex-hitokiri- a manslayer. I have more blood on my hands than any other person in the world. Did you mean it?" Kaoru heard the pleading note in Kenshin's voice. She turned and looked at him.

"Of course I mean it." she said. Since she was laying all of her cards on the table, she hoped he would do the same. "What about you?"

"I- even though I am unfit- do love you, Kaoru." he said, looking down. "I love you with everything I have. I have nothing to offer you." Kaoru smiled, walking back to Kenshin and kneeling beside him.

"Oh Kenshin, I'm not after anything but you. I love you, Kenshin, not money or fancy jewels. It doesn't matter if you have nothing. You are everything to me." Kaoru hugged him close, feeling his strong arms wrap around her. Tears of happiness fell down her cheeks. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just hugging.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Lady Takani's voice came from the open kitchen door. Kaoru and Kenshin broke apart, Kaoru grinning like a schoolgirl with a blush to match, and Kenshin busying himself with the food.

"I guess not." the lady smiled. "Should I set the table?" Kaoru nodded wordlessly, getting plates and things out.

"Here. The table is just outside the door." Kaoru said. As Lady Takani took the plates from Kaoru, she whispered to her.

"Good. He's a good man, Kaoru-san. Don't let him get away!" Kaoru blushed more and nodded.

A/N: So? Did we like it? Only a few more chappies to the end! 


	24. Chapter 24

Megumi and Sanosuke were still locked in a tight embrace, content in each others arms. Sanosuke ran his hand through Megumi's short hair, smoothing it down it a comforting gesture.

"I love you." he said softly.

"I love you too, with all my heart." Megumi replied. She pulled slightly back from their embrace to kiss him again.

It was just as Sanosuke was kissing back that the door opened.

"Uh... hello?" Kai said, looking at his sister in surprise. Yahiko was shocked speechless for a moment.

"Oh, um, Kai!" Megumi said, blushing. She and Sanosuke broke apart, though they still stood close to each other.

"Sanosuke? What were you and Megumi DOING!" Yahiko asked. He knew the answer, but he'd get a kick out of hearing Sano say it.

"Nothing, Yahiko-CHAN!" Sano said, deeply embarrassed at being caught kissing the one woman he really loved.

"We came to tell you that Kenshin-san and Kaoru-san were making dinner..." Komakai said, before Yahiko could protest being called -chan.

"Kenshin's cooking?" Sano asked, grinning. Yahiko, Kai, and Komakai nodded.

"Let's go." Megumi said, taking Sano hand and walking past her two family members and Yahiko. They just stared as Sanosuke walked confidently past them, his hand in Megumi's.

Scene Change

Kenshin and Kaoru smiled at each other. Dinner was almost half-over, but no one had spoken. The Takani's were watching with strange looks- no one knew what they meant- and Yahiko was just disgusted.

"Eww... I'm trying to eat here!" he complained as Sanosuke and Megumi loooked at each other with affection.

"Shut it runt." Sano said. Lady Takani cleared her throat.

"I can't ignore any longer what is right beneath my nose." She looked at her daughter for a moment, thoughtful.

"I always said I wanted you to marry a respectful member of society... I never imagined my daughter falling in love with a street brawler." Sanosuke turned serious eyes to Lady Takani, putting down his rice bowl.

"You may not have had me in your plans, but you can make some adjustments, right?" he asked, an almost worried look creeping into his eyes. Lady Takani looked at him seriously.

"I never adjust my plans, young man. Awful good thing I don't remember my plans then, hmm? Old age- memory is the first to go. I may have imagined Megumi-chan with a businessman, or a doctor- maybe a street brawler. Who knows. I always know that I did plan for Megumui's wedding with the man she loves, and who loves her just as much, if not more. Are you that man?" The table was eeriely silent now. It wasn't the comfortable silence of moments before- it was the cold silence before the axe fell. In this case, however, it was more like the silence before a prisoner on Death Row was freed.

"I love Megumi." Sano said, taking her hand. "If she thinks that she can find it in her heart to love me back, then I am that man. If not, then you'll have to look farther." Megumi squeezed his hand.

"Never doubt that you are that man, Sagara Sanosuke." she said.

"Then I give my blessing." She turned to Kenshin and Kaoru.

"You two don't have proper parents, so I give my blessing for you two as well. I hope you consider me as some sort of surrogate mother, even though we've only known each other for a few hours." Kenshin nodded.

"I would. Thank you very much. Megumi-san is lucky to have a mother like you." Kaoru turned pink.

"Thanks..." she said. Yahiko's eyes opened wide.

"So busu and Kenshin are getting married, and so are Megumi and Sanosuke!" All of the adults nodded.

"ARGGHH! I have to deal with NEWLYWEDS!" Yahiko bemoaned his fate. "No! It's not fair." he grumped. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Don't stay here then, if you can't deal with it." Kaoru said, holding Kenshin's hand tightly. He smiled at her and kissed her hand.

"Should we plan a double wedding?" Kai asked aloud. "So all four of your get married at the same time?"

"It would cut down on expenses..." Kaoru said thoughtfully. "But I leave it up to everyone. This is a descision to be made together." Megumi smiled.

"Planning a big huge wedding for everyone at once? I like it. This way, we save money and can all get married soon. It's quicker than planning two individual weddings." Sano nodded.

"I'd get married tomorrow, but I guess these things take time." he said. "Let's make it a big bash and get the Akabeko to cater. I'll lay off the sake and won't gamble if it'll help." Megumi, Kaoru, Kenshin, and Yahiko looked at Sano, looks of surprise and shock on their faces. Megumi also looked impressed.

"You're giving up sake and gambling- for me?" Sano looked at her.

"Nope. For us. All of us. But mostly you, I guess." Megumi rewarded him with a small kiss. He smiled and returned it.

"Yuck. Not married yet and already they start being mushy!" Yahiko said crossly. Sanosuke broke the kiss and lookedt at teh boy mischiviously.

"Maybe we should make it a three-way wedding and make Yahiko propose to Tsubame?" he said aloud. Yahiko turned red.

"NO! Stick to your dumb four person wedding!" he said, blushing like mad. "I'm way to young to marry, anyway." he added crossly.

"So you were thinking about marrying Tsubame? Ohh..." Kaoru said in that knowing voice. Even Kai and Komakai were smiling. By now they had picked up on the fact that Yahiko liked this 'Tsubame' girl.

"I was NOT!" Yahiko protested. Kenshin eyed him thoughtfully.

"You're a young man. Not, however, too young for marriage. You and Tsubame-chan both are of legal age, as long as your guardians accept. Hmm..." Yahiko spluttered angrily.

"Kenshin! You're on their side too? Is everyone in this house against me?" he said, whining.

"Maybe we should set them up on a date..." Megumi said, winking at Yahiko. The boy was now beyond words, redder than a cherry tomato.

"Arggghh! BAKAS!" he said, then stood up and walked off, hands in his pockets.

"Ask her to dance with you at our wedding!" Kaoru called out. Yahiko kept walking.

"I think we may have upset him a bit much." Kenshin observed. "He didn't even finish dinner."

"You're right. But hes a boy. He'll get over it." Lady Takani said wisely, sipping some green tea. Sanosuke nodded.

"She's right. Yahiko knows that he likes her anyway. Who knows? He may ask her to be his date at our big day!"

"We should start planning soon." Megumi interrupted. "I've always wanted a big wedding..."

"I'm in favor of that. A big wedding with all of our friends." Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled at her.

"Whatever makes you happy." he said, kissing her briefly. Kaoru blushed, but kissed back.

Scene Change

Yahiko walked along the road to town, not caring or watching where his feet were taking him. Eventually, he reached the Akabeko.

Yahiko gasped in surprise when he found himself in front of the closed shop.

'I was so busy being mad at them I didn't know where I was going!' he thought. He turned to leave and almost ran into someone behind him.

"Oh, sorry!" the person said. Yahiko knew the voice instantly.

"Tsubame! What are you doing out here this late!"

"The Akabeko just closed, Yahiko-kun." Tsubame replied, puzzled. "Why are you here? Kaoru-san didn't kick you out, did she?"

"She did not!" he said, masculine temper flaring.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Tsubame said meekly. Yahiko's temper deflated immediately.

"Nah. I shouldn't have yelled." he apologized. 'Kenshin's manners are starting to rub off on me...'

"No, really, I shouldn't have asked. What brings you here?" Yahiko recalled the conversation that had driven him out of the dojo. His face redded to almost unhealthy proportions.

"N-Nothing!" he stammered. "I'll walk you home. The streets of Tokyo are no place for a girl at night." Tsubame smiled.

"Thank you, Yahiko-kun." Yahiko nodded, not looking her in the eye. She tilted her head to the side, worried.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, putting a caring hand on his shoulder. Yahiko's head jerked up.

"I'm fine." he said, then started moving in the direction of Tsubame's house. "Let's go." Tsubame followed quietly. Nothing was said until they reached her house.

"Well, I must be going in now." Tsubame said. Yahiko- who had been working up the courage to ask her something- blurted out something that would be public news by tomorrow.

"Kenshin and Kaoru are getting married! And so are Megumi and Sanosuke!" Tsubame turned to face him, eyes wide.

"Really? That's great!" Yahiko nodded and swallowed.

"They're having a big double wedding. Do you want to come with me?" he burst out. Time seemed to freeze. Tsubame most certainly had.

'He didn't just-?'

"I mean, I can understand if you don't want to, you probably have tons of other things to do... See ya later, bye!" he turned around very quickly and started to walk away, but Tsubame called for him.

"Yahiko-kun! Matte." he turned to look at Tsubame, who was now blushing worse than anything anyone had ever seen.

"Um... is this a date?" she asked. Yahiko nodded numbly.

"It- uh- that is, it would be... unless it's just a friend thing!" he said quickly. Tsubame smiled a bit and nodded.

"I'd love to go! I'll go with you." she promised, then turned and went into the house, shutting the door behind her. She smiled ecstatically and leaned her head against the paper door, clearly hearing the cries of one extremely happy boy as he left for the dojo.

'He likes me! Yahiko likes me!' she thought to herself, nearly skipping to her room.

AN: had to add in that little bit of Yahiko/Tsubame fluff! Fluff is fun! 


	25. Chapter 25

The weeks and months went by quickly, in a flurry of planning, ordering, and everything else that comes with a wedding. It was the day before the big day. They had finally found a monk- letting him know that they wanted to write their own vows- and a cake they liked, food they loved, a guest list that included everyone they knew (even Saito had been invited and Hiko had agreed to come) and a place to hold the wedding. (The reception would be at the dojo. Thanks to the efforts of the men- even Yahiko- the dojo was spotless.) Yahiko had agreed to be the ring bearer, and Ayame and her sister were to be the flower girls. Tae had agreed to cater on top of being a bridesmaid, and Kai and Komakai had agreed to be the best men. Megumi's mother had agreed to be the other bridesmaid.

Kaoru sighed happily.

"This is perfect." she told her soon-to-be-husband. Kenshin smiled back at her.

"Aa. It is." he said, holding her hand. Such touches had become second nature to them, and they shared kisses and hugs in public. Anything more intimate than making out, however, would be saved for their wedding night. It was the same with Sanosuke and Megumi. They were waiting until they were legally married to do anything more than make out- which they did a lot of.

"Are you going to tell me what you wrote in your vows?" she asked jokingly, knowing the answer.

"You'll find out tomorrow, Kaoru-koiishi." he said, kissing her on the nose. She laughed.

"I had a difficult time writing mine. So much to say, but I don't want our wedding to last for years! I wrote as much as I could without going on for hours."

"I did the same. There's too much to love about you, koi." Kaoru smiled.

"I can't wait until tomorrow. Finally, I'll get a big wedding with the man that means more to me than he'll ever know." she said, leaning against him as they watched the sunset.

Scene Change

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Sanosuke said to Megumi as she double-checked the wedding plans. She nodded absently.

"That means you're stuck with me." she said happily. She heard Sano chuckle behind her.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Fox." he said. He still sometimes used his pet name for her. Not that she minded.

Scene Change

Kenshin smiled at his reflection. There had been enough money to buy himself and Sanosuke wedding outfits. His was a black kimono with a golden dragon embroidered on his side with a white yukata underneath. Sanosuke had a black one as well, but with a red pheonix embroidered on his.

"The Fox has some humor. The embroidery shop probably wouldn't do a rooster." sanosuke grumbled, but Kenshin could tell that he loved the kimono. It may have been a bit more confining than his regular outfit, but he would do anything for Megumi.

"Aa, that she does." Kenshin said thoughtfully. Snaosuke nodded.

"I'm actually kinda nervous." he said. Kenshin looked at his friend in surprise.

"Nervous?" Sanosuke nodded, but then shook his head.

"I'll be fine. It's like stage fright." he explained. Kenshin nodded, and the two men took their places by the alter to wait for their wives-to-be.

Kaoru looked at herself in the mirror. She looked breathtaking and she knew it. It had taken a pretty penny to get a wedding kimono for herself and for Megumi, but the Takani's had helped. Not having to pay for Sanosuke's sake and gambling habits had helped very much as well. Kaoru glanced at the beautiful creation again. It was made out of delicate white silk and had light purple jasmines stitched carefully onto it.

Megumi smiled as she smoothed out her own kimono- a delicate white silk kimono with a reddish fox embroidered on the stomach and chest.

"You look fine, don't worry. Of course, I look better, but that's to be expected." Kaoru turned to Megumi, scowling. At the joking and expectent look on her friend's face, Kaoru's scowl turned into a smile.

"You both look great." Lady Takani told them. Now it's time." The girls nodded as they heard the procession start. First the flower girls, then the ringbearer, the bridesmaids, and finally the brides. Kaoru walked in front of Megumi (this was the decided order for the ceremony.) and went to the left, towards Kenshin. She stopped after taking a few steps. Megumi went right and stood next to Sanosuke. The monk cleared his throat.

"We are gathered here today to witness not one, but two joinings. Kamiya Kaoru, master of the Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu dojo, and Himura Kenshin, formerly Himura Battousai, a great manslayer and now a rurouni wandering for redemption, are to be married this day. Takani Megumi, a great doctor, and Sagara Sanosuke, cadet of the Sekiho Army and formerly fight merchant Zanza, are to be wed today. At their request, they have written their own vows, In the name of Buddha, Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru will pledge themselves to one another first." The monk bowed many made a holy sign in the air. This was Kenshin's cue.

"Kamiya Kaoru. I have loved you since the day we met. That first day in the alley, when you challenged me. I was drawn to you then. I had always kept you at arms length, though, to protect you from me, and me from you. I was worried about what would happen if I confessed what I had been feeling for you to you. I didn't want to face your rejection, so I kept silent and contented myself with protecting your happiness. I was finally able to admit the truth to you not so long ago, and today we are to be joined in marriage forever. I will love you no matter what. I know that I am impure, having killed many as Hitokiri Battousai and that you could find a better man than me to love, but I love you with all of my heart." Kenshin smiled at her. Kaoru smiled back, tears in her eyes from the sweetness of his words.

"Oh, Kenshin..." she said happily. "I've loved you since we met, too. I was always so worried that you would one day leave, so I never said anything to you, convinced that my confession would drive you away faster and that you wouldn't even visit when you left. You're not impure- you're the most wonderful thing in my life. You don't need to protect my happiness. You are my happiness. I will love you forever and for always." The monk nodded. By this time, many people who had come to witness the marriages had misty eyes. Kenshin and Kaoru certainly did. Megumi and Sanosuke as well.

Kenshin leaned down to meet Kaoru in a furious kiss, happy when she responded just as eagerly. They were promising each other what would happen that night. They broke the kiss and just smiled at each other.

"The next union shall be of Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi." the monk said.

"You know I'm not good with words, but I tried to come up with my vow by myself." Sano said. Megumi looked at him, eyes shining. "I've loved you for a long time. I can't pin down when I started to love you. I always thought that you were too good for me, being that I was just a street brawler and you were a great doctor. I sometiems got into fights with small-time Yakuza gang members and get hurt a bit so I'd have an excuse to go to the clinic. I enjoyed seeing you. Gods, I love you. I loved you then and I love you now and I'll love you until the day I die and maybe even then I won't stop. you're the only woman I want to have by my side as my wife. You're the only person for me, from here on out." Megumi was almost in tears as she heard his confession.

"I love you. I can never get tired of saying the, especially not to you. I never want to be with anyone else either, and I want to wake up in the mornings next to you, wake up to prepare our breakfast, make our lunches, make our dinners, and fall asleep with you beside me. You are the only man for me, and I never want you to leave my side." Megumi kissed Sanosuke firmly on his lips, and he took them even deeper into the kiss, wanting this perfect moment to last forever. Eventually, they broke apart.

"There were four seperate people that came to join in marriage. Now there are two married couples that will live happily for a long time. May Buddha bless your homes." The monk said the closing prayer, and the wedding party and witnesses were allowed to go back to teh dojo.

"We're married!" Kaoru squealed, hugging Kenshin happily as he carried her in his arms- bridal style- to the dojo.

"We are." he agreed. Megumi and Sanosuke walked a bit behind them, side-by-side and holding hands.

They reached the dojo in a few minutes. Hiko was already there, drinking sake.

"Yo, baka deshi!" he said, smirking at his student. "You got a pretty one, that's for sure!" Kenshin blushed and set Kaoru down.

"Uh, arigatou gozimastu, Master Hiko." he said. Kaoru smiled and squeezed his hand, then turned to the guests.

"There is food and drink for everyone. Please, enjoy!" The guests needed no further urging. Everyone dug in, grabbing plates and chopsticks, bowls of rice and bowls of soup. later there would be dancing, but for now there was food.

Yahiko stood outside the dojo. He hadn't seen Tsubame all night, but he knew that she was there somewhere.

"Yahiko-kun?" her soft voice sounded from behind him. He almost jumped but managed to calmly turn around.

"Oh- hey Tsubame. Glad you could come."

"I didn't want to miss it. I had some work at the Akabeko to take care of before I could come- I must earn my keep. I'm so glad I got done with my chores early!" Yahiko gulped and blushed, looking at his feet to avoid looking too closely at her.

"Y-yeah, I'm glad too." Tsubame smiled.

"You already said so, but it's nice to hear." Yahiko looked up at her face.

"I did?"

"You did. Do you want to join Kaoru-san and the other for food? I can't wait until the dancing!" Yahiko nodded dumbly, holding his arm out so that she could hang onto it. She gladly took his arm, both blushing a bit more if that was possible.

"Yeah. Food is good." Yahiko muttered.

The meal lasted for about an hour, and then it was time for the dancing. The guests that remained- some had left after the food- danced for hours. Kenshin and Kaoru always stayed together, and Megumi and Sanosuke never left each other's side.

Yahiko and Tsubame were staying pretty close as well, but they tried not to make it so obvious.

Eventually, the guests left. Tae-san was the last to leave.

"Do you want me to invite Yahiko-kun to my house for the night? Or maybe for a week- the newlyweds will want a big space for themselves, hmm?" Tae said knowingly. The said 'newlyweds' blushed, but nodded.

"A week would be good, yeah. Our honeymoon and all." Kaoru said. Kenshin nodded. Tae smiled.

"I'll be happy to take him. We'll be seeing you." With that, Tae gathered up Tsubame and Yahiko, making Yahiko get enough things for a week and then taking them to her house.

"Shall we?" Sanosuke asked his wife with a glint in his eye.

"We shall. We're retiring to bed now, goodnight. See you in the morning." Megumi said.

"Or in a week from now." Sano said, just loud enough to be heard. Megumi smacked him lightly.

"Not a week, tomorrow! We have to eat, after all." Sanosuke nodded. The two left for Sanosuke's bedroom.

"We should go too. It's our honeymoon." Kenshin told his wife. Kaoru nodded, a bit shy.

"We will. Let's go now- we can clean up from the reception in a week."

"Or have Yahiko do it..." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled.

"That too."

A/N: Yay! Just one more chatper and this shall be completed!  
Yes, you heard right- next chapter is the last! It has been a blast uploading this for you all (and thank you to all my reviewers! Much love! hugs) 


	26. Chapter 26

Kaoru smiled at her friends. Tsubame and Tae had come from the Akabeko to celebrate tonight, and Megumi and Sanosuke had come to celebrate their anniversary as well.

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" they chorused. It had been a long time since Kenshin and kaoru's wedding. In that time, they had had a beautiful son.

"Kenji, come to auntie!" Megumi said.

"You already have one! Let me hold him!" Sanosuke said. Megumi transferred the baby in her arms to Sanosuke. He held his daughter gentely.

"There, now you have one too." Sanosuke mock glared at her.

"Not fair! Can't I hold my nephew?"

"No, he wants his daddy." Kenshin said, gentely taking his son from Megumi. She let him go.

"Too true- he looks so much like you Kenshin." Tae said. Tsubame nodded.

"You think so? Maybe our next child will look more like me..." Kaoru said.

"You... again?" Tae said, dumbfounded.

"No! It's just, when we do have another! Not right now." Kaoru said, blushing. Kenshin smiled at her.

"Maybe so, Kaoru. Maybe our next child will look more like you. How soon do you want to find out? In nine months?" Kaoru blushed and lightly smacked her husband.

"No, maybe in another year. We have nothing but time." she said. Yahiko fidgeted in his seat, then suddenly spoke.

"May I speak to you all?" Megumi nodded, puzzled.

"Sure. Talk. That's what we're doing." she said. Yahiko let a bit of a frown cross his face, but then wiped it off quickly.

"Ummm... my 15th birthday was earlier this year. I'm of legal age with guardians permission..." he started. Sano's eyebrow raied.

"So? What's that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"Well..." Yahiko was red at this point. Tsubame - who was sitting right next to him- was as well, but no one noticed until the quiet girl spoke.

"Yahiko and I want to get married." she said softly, taking Yahiko's hand gentely. "We need our guardians permission to do it, though." The adults seemed frozen in shock.

"Whoa..." Sanosuke said, surprised.

"About time." Megumi said, getting over the shock first. Kaoru nodded, smiling wickedly.

"So I was right! You do love her!" she said triumphantly. Yahiko blushed deeper.

"You have my permission." Kenshin said to Yahiko, smiling softly at the boy. Yahiko looked up.

"Th- Thanks, Kenshin." he said, 100 sincere. Tsubame nodded.

"Thank you very much Kenshin-san." she said.

"Go and get married. You probably want to start planning soon, right?" Megumi asked. Yahiko and Tsubame nodded.

"I haven't given my permission yet." Tae said. The two lovebirds looked at her anxiously while the adults looked on expectantly.

"Please Tae-san? I do love Yahiko, and I know he loves me. Can we please be allowed to wed?" Tsubame asked. Tae smiled.

"Okay. Young love... ah, how wonderful! I want to help plan, though!" she warned. Yahiko and Tsubame were so happy they were still for almost a full minute before hugging each other fiercely, having all the permission they needed to become husband and wife, not just boyfriend and girlfriend.

"This is the happiest day of my life." Tsubame said, nuzzling Yahiko's chest.

"Hm. Mine too, I guess. You'll say the same thing on our wedding day, when you get married to the second greatest swordsman in Japan. Kenshin's still the best." Kenshin accepted the praise modestly, nodding his head in agreement.

"Get a room, you two. Or maybe we should seperate you- none of that before the wedding, after all..." Sanosuke said thoughtfully. Megumi smacked him, a mock glare on her face- she couldn't stay mad at her husband for long. He took the hit and pretended to glare back.

"What was that for, Fox?" he asked, pretending to be mad.

"You know what that was for! Tonight you sleep on the couch for that comment!" Sano's playfully mad expression was gone, replaced by what could havce been shock.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't." Yahiko and Tsubame were very quiet, and taking red to a higher level than ever before with their blushes.

"Okay... let's plan the new wedding tomorrow, then." Kaoru said happily. Kenshin nodded.

"Congratulations, you two."

"Thank you." Yahiko said.

Scene Change!

That night, Kaoru smiled as she and her husband climbed into bed together.

"Ah... everything is just as it should be." she said. "We have a son. Yahiko- my best student- is getting married to Tsubame, the girl he loves. Megumi and Sanosuke- my best friends- are married and have a daughter. We're married with a son. Life can't get any better than this. This is how it is meant to be."

"Aa, I agree." Kenshin said, hugging her tightly to him. "This was our destiny the day we met."

"It was. It's so nice when I can go to sleep each night with you beside me." Kaoru kissed Kenshin and blew out the candle next to the bed.

Now that everything was as it should be, the only thing left was to keep teaching and keep Kenshin by her side. Her ideal life was now hers to live however she chose. No longer did she wonder what each day would bring in terms of her love life, but instead she wondered how to make the most out of what she knew would be coming. Life only lasted a while, and now she had Kenshin to share it with, forever and for always.

END

Whew. That lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. Thanks everyone for reading it!. Everythings finished here- maybe I'll come out with another RuroKen fic, but I don't think so. Thanks again for reading it! 


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